Tasty dark chocolate brownie bites have hidden caramel and are topped with a rich, but light chocolate mousse frosting. If you do not want to bother making the frosting, they are just as good with a dusting of confectioners' sugar.
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 57 minutes
Yield: About 60 brownie bites
Ingredients:
- 1 box brownie mix (tested with Betty Crocker Chocolate Supreme Brownie Mix with Hershey's Syrup, 1 pound, 5.3 ounce box)
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup (1 stick or 8 Tablespoons) butter, melted
- 1/8 cup water
- 20 Kraft caramel squares, unwrapped and each cut into 6 pieces
- .
- Chocolate Mousse Frosting:
- 1/2 envelope unflavored gelatin
- 1 Tablespoon cold water
- 1/8 cup boiling water
- 1/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa
- 3/4 cup cold whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place paper muffin cups in mini-muffin tins.
Combine brownie mix (including chocolate syrup pouch), eggs, melted butter, and water. Mix with a dinner fork only until combined. Some small lumps will remain. Fill mini-muffin cups half full. Drop 2 pieces of caramel into the center of each brownie bite. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until tops are no longer shiny. Let cool for 45 minutes to 1 hour, cooled completely before frosting. Meanwhile, prepare mousse frosting.
For the Mousse Frosting:
In small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over cold water. Let stand 1 minute to soften. Add boiling water and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved and mixture is clear. Cool slightly.
In medium bowl, stir together sugar and cocoa. Stir vanilla into whipping cream and add to the cocoa mixture. Beat on medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bottom of the bowl occasionally, until stiff. Pour in gelatin mixture and beat until well blended. Chill in refrigerator about 15 minutes to firm up a little.
Fill pastry bag with mousse frosting and form a swirl on the top of each brownie bite (or spread on by hand). Refrigerate brownie bites in a covered container overnight. Best when served at room temperature, but refrigerate leftovers.
Yield: about 6 dozen mini-cups
Caramel Mousse Brownie Bites Recipe Photo © 2011 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.
Combine brownie mix (including chocolate syrup pouch), eggs, melted butter, and water. Mix with a dinner fork only until combined. Some small lumps will remain. Fill mini-muffin cups half full. Drop 2 pieces of caramel into the center of each brownie bite. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until tops are no longer shiny. Let cool for 45 minutes to 1 hour, cooled completely before frosting. Meanwhile, prepare mousse frosting.
For the Mousse Frosting:
In small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over cold water. Let stand 1 minute to soften. Add boiling water and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved and mixture is clear. Cool slightly.
In medium bowl, stir together sugar and cocoa. Stir vanilla into whipping cream and add to the cocoa mixture. Beat on medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bottom of the bowl occasionally, until stiff. Pour in gelatin mixture and beat until well blended. Chill in refrigerator about 15 minutes to firm up a little.
Fill pastry bag with mousse frosting and form a swirl on the top of each brownie bite (or spread on by hand). Refrigerate brownie bites in a covered container overnight. Best when served at room temperature, but refrigerate leftovers.
Yield: about 6 dozen mini-cups
Caramel Mousse Brownie Bites Recipe Photo © 2011 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.
