Hot Cocoa Brownie Bites

I couldn’t be more excited to be in Lake George right now! Summers here are just absolutely amazing, I wish I had a house on the lake so that I could live a life of paradise. I came up with my best friend, Victoria, to see some potential wedding venues for her big day and enjoy the beautiful scenery and life. It’s so good to escape from reality and the fast paced life people lead back home in the city. The best part about being up here, is the tranquility and complete feeling of bliss I get just from being near the vast open lake, rolling hills and mountains of endless greens far beyond the eye can see. It’s a different kind of air that you breathe when you’re here, very similar to standing at the top of the mountains in Portugal, which is why I enjoy Lake George so much!!

I’ll return back from this little piece of heaven Sunday night, but needed to share this recipe with you before I left last night. Victoria had a special request…brownies and hot chocolate! Talk about a rich chocolatey indulgence, but as the best friend I am I fulfilled her sweet wish. I took my favorite brownie recipe, which is slightly cake-y but a whole lot of fudgy-ness, and added homemade hot cocoa mix into the batter and then soaked the brownies in the liquid as soon as they came out of the oven. WARNING:…ooey gooey overload!!! Topped with hot cocoa whipped cream and marshmallows, this is a decadent and rich chocolate treat with all the intense flavors of a hot cocoa on a chilly summer night. Have a great weekend!

Ingredients {Makes 48 mini cupcake sized treats or 24 regular sized treats}

1 stick {1/2 cup} – Unsalted Butter

8 oz – Bittersweet Organic Chocolate

1 1/2 cups – Sugar

4 large – Eggs

1 teaspoon – Pure Vanilla Extract

3/4 cup – All-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon – Salt

For the Hot Cocoa mixture

6 1/2 tablespoons – Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

6 1/2 tablespoons – Sugar

Dash – Salt

1/2 teaspoon – Ground Cinnamon

1 teaspoon – Pure Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 cups – Milk

For the Hot Cocoa Whipped Cream

1 1/2 cups – Heavy Cream

4 tablespoons – Confectioner’s Sugar

2 tablespoons – Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1 teaspoon – Pure Vanilla Extract

– Mini Marshmallows

Recipe

Pre-heat, your oven to 350*F and spray 2 mini cupcake trays. In a heat-proof bowl set over simmering water {don’t let the bowl actually touch the water} stir the butter and chocolate frequently until it is completely melted and smooth {about 7 minutes}. Remove from the heat, and let cool to room temperature {about 10-15 minutes}

For the hot cocoa mixture, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Heat your milk in the microwave until hot {about 2 minutes} and whisk into your dry ingredients. Stir in the vanilla making sure there are no lumps.

Stir the sugar into the cooled chocolate mixture, until well combined. Whisk the eggs in one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla, and gently fold in the flour and salt. Stir in about 1/3 of your hot cocoa mixture into the batter. Fill your cupcake tray 3/4 of the way up. Bake for 15 minutes, rotating halfway {there should only be a few moist crumbs on the toothpick when you insert it into the brownies} Immediately pour a little of the hot cocoa mixture over the hot brownies, allowing them to soak up the liquid. Cool completely on a wire rack. {Place them in the freezer for about 20 minutes to remove them from the tray}

For the Hot Cocoa Whipped Cream, whip the cream and sugar until soft peaks. Add the cocoa and vanilla, whipping until stiff peaks. Refrigerate covered with plastic until ready to use.

Pipe your whipped cream onto the completely cooled brownies and top with Mini Marshmallows.