Snickers. Does a Brownie Good!

My mother is quite the baker herself... where do you think I get if from? But sometimes even the best bakers look elsewhere for help/guidance.  My mother makes dessert to celebrate the birthdays of her coworkers.  From time to time she turns to me to see what funky pin or blog recipe I've found.  Of course on this occasion- I was able to deliver with some sinfully good brownie bites.  Yes, I love my staple port brownie bites- but these run a very close 2nd if not tie for first.  Snickers Brownie Bites from The Domestic Rebel.  Don't let the name full ya- you aren't just chopping up a Snickers bar and mixing it in with the brownie mix- oh no- you are creating the essence of the Snickers bar to enhance the already gooey, chocolateyness of the brownie.  The recipe makes these in a pan, but I decided to step up the presentation game and make them in to individually wrapped brownie bite cups. 

 

Following the recipe I mad the brownie batter, poured them into my lined mini cupcake pan and let them bake up for about 15-20 minutes (time will vary depending on your brownie mix).  Allow them to cool and then begin stacking on the layers of nutty, caramel goodness.  The rest of the recipe I followed pretty true, you may have some leftovers but you can always make more brownies!  The caramel was a little complicated to get on the brownies and I would put it on a few at at time and then add peanuts so the caramel wouldn't be hard by the time I got to the last one if I'd put it on all of them.  And you do need to push the peanuts in- or they will fall off in the chocolate.  Maybe next time I'll drizzle some caramel on top of the peanuts or just drizzle the chocolate on- so many ways to do it!  I did not put my brownies in the fridge after adding the caramel and peanut layer, I just let them sit for a little while and they seemed to get firm enough to dip in the chocolate.  And just another tip- because I did make a small pan of brownies in addition to the cups- and I poured the chocolate on before I cut them- cut them first- then dip them in chocolate!  But if you are like me and you just can't wait that long, just let them sit for a while (I let them go overnight so I guess it was longer than if I'd just cut them) and cut them later- the chocolate will crack a little but believe me- taste out weighs presentation any day when you have a yummy treat!

 

The end of the recipe says will store up to 2 days in an airtight container- don't worry about them going bad- they won't last that long!  The email from my mom the next morning at work is proof... I made her 3 dozen (not all were Snickers topped), for 18 people....

 

"Hey Riz - It is only 8:58am and there is only 3 desserts left that you made. Rave reviews, especially about the ones with the snickers type top. Thank you, but next time I better order double. Love Ya Mom"

 

Because of nut sensitivities now and days- I made some brownie cups- minus the Snickers topping.  When I took all the brownie cups out of the oven I immediately placed caramel filled Hershey Kisses on top so they would melt onto the brownie- at least they were getting some caramel treat with their brownie- but I'm pretty sure nut sensitive or not- everyone had one of each!

 

 

Enjoy!

 

Snickers Brownie Bites from The Domestic Rebel

1 box brownie mix, plus ingredients on back of box
1 jar marshmallow fluff
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 pkg Kraft caramels, unwrapped
1 Tbsp heavy cream
1 & 1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts
1/2 pkg chocolate Candiquik or milk chocolate almond bark
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13×9″ baking pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Prepare your brownie mix according to package directions and pour into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean per the directions on the package. Cool the brownies completely.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the marshmallow fluff + the smooth peanut butter with a rubber spatula or hand mixer until blended. Spread the fluff mixture on top of the cooled brownies in an even layer.
3. Microwave the unwrapped caramels in a medium bowl with a splash of heavy cream for 1 minute. Stir, then heat for an additional 30 seconds or until melted and smooth. Spread the caramel layer on top of the fluff nougat layer evenly. Immediately sprinkle on the peanuts and press them gently into the caramel. Pop the brownies in the fridge for about 30 minutes to set.
4. Melt the Candiquik according to package directions until smooth. Using a sharp knife sprayed with cooking spray, cut the brownies into 1″-2″ sized squares. Dip the tops of the squares in the melted chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet to set. Repeat until all the bites have been coated.
5. Store the bites airtight, at room temperature, up to 2 days.