I feel like Flip Wilson saying this, but "The Devil made me bake them!"' Yes, these Rocky Road Brownie Bites are naughty, naughty, naughty!
You can look at this as either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how much willpower you have, but the recipe makes only four decadently delicious, fudgy Rocky Road Brownie Bites.
Yes, only four, which makes them perfect for the smaller family, couples or singletons. It also makes them perfect for a small ladies luncheon where you don't want any leftovers of their decadence hanging around afterwards to tempt you!
I can tell you that they are absolutely delicious. Rich and fudgy with plenty of chocolate flavor in that dense Brownie base. And the topping is just sweet, salty, crunchy, chewy chocolatey as well.
Together, I declare them quite, quite irresistible, especially if you are a chocolate lover! And I do so love a good chocolate bake.
I have adapted the recipe from one I found in the cookbook Dessert for Two, by Christina Lane. If you are a singleton like myself, or a couple living on your own, I highly recommend this book for small desserts.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE ROCKY ROAD BROWNIE BITES
Nothing too far out of the ordinary. Simple baking store cupboard ingredients. At least my baking store cupboard anyways!
For the brownie bases:
- 3 TBS (45g) butter
- 7 TBS (88g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (28g) cocoa powder, sifted
- pinch salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large free range egg
- 3 TBS (22.5g) plain all purpose flour
For the Rocky Road Topping:
- 2 ounces (56 oz) good quality semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 TBS (15g) butter
- 1 TBS (15ml) honey (can use corn syrup or golden syrup)
- 1/4 cup (39g) roasted unsalted peanuts
- 1/4 cup (14g) mini marshmallows
If you are a lover of Brownies, you are going to absolutely adore these. The brownies themselves have the perfect brownie denseness. You can easily pick them up in your hands to eat them.
I remember being on a cooking show in the UK one time and they made brownies. Runny chocolate sludge is what they made.
That is not a brownie to my way of thinking. That is a mess. You should be able to hold a brownie in your hands. It should be neither too wet, nor too dry, but somewhere in the middle.
That rocky road topping is a perfect mix of sweet, salty, chocolate, crunchy, chew! Rich and delicious.
Finger lickingly messy to eat, but lip-smackingly good at the same time. You will not regret the messy melted chocolate fingers. Trust me on this!
HOW TO MAKE ROCKY ROAD BROWNIE BITES
Nothing could be easier. I like to start by making my rocky road. That way it can set up perfectly for when the brownies are done and baked.
Prepare a small sheet pan by lining it with either wax paper or a silicone mat.
Combine the chocolate chips, butter and honey in a small bowl. You can either melt this over simmering water, or in the microwave at 50%. (Mine took 30 seconds in my microwave.)
Stir to completely melt and amalgamate. It will be shiny. Stir in the peanuts and marshmallows. Pour onto the prepared baking sheet. Set aside to harden. (You can place in the refrigerator if you wish.)
Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter 4 muffin cups very well. (Don't use paper liners.)
Combine the butter, sugar, and sifted cocoa powder in a small bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds.
Remove from the microwave and whisk together until smooth. Add the salt and vanilla. Stir for about a minute to cool down, then whisk in the egg. Whisk in the flour, until smooth and well combined (about 50 strokes). This also helps to aerate them.
Divide the batter equally amongst the buttered muffin cups. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Leave to cool for a few minutes before tipping out onto a wire rack to cool for about 20 minutes.
Break or cut the rocky road into large pieces. Set on top of each warm brownie bite pressing gently. Set aside to cool completely.
She allowed the brownies to cool completely before adding the topping. I added the topping while they were still a bit warm as I felt that the topping would adhere better.
Uh Oh! Did I do that??? That's one problem about living on your own. There really is nobody else to blame for anything!!
Rocky Road Brownie Bites
Yield: 4 brownie bites
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 30 Min
Tasty brownie bites topped with crunchy, chewy, chocolaty, rocky road. Very yummilicious!!
Ingredients
For the brownie bites:
- 3 TBS (45g) butter
- 7 TBS (88g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (28g) cocoa powder, sifted
- pinch salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large free range egg
- 3 TBS (22.5g) plain all purpose flour
For the Rocky Road Topping:
- 2 ounces (56 oz) good quality semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 TBS (15g) butter
- 1 TBS (15ml) honey
- 1/4 cup (39g) roasted unsalted peanuts
- 1/4 cup (14g) mini marshmallows
Instructions
- First make the rocky road. Prepare a small sheet pan by lining it with waxed paper or a silicone mat. Combine the chocolate chips, butter and honey in a small bowl. You can either melt this over simmering water, or in the microwave at 50%. (Mine took 30 seconds in my microwave.)
- Stir to completely melt and amalgamate. It will be shiny. Stir in the peanuts and marshmallows. Pour onto the prepared baking sheet. Set aside to harden. (You can place in the refrigerator if you wish.)
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter 4 muffin cups very well. (Don't use paper liners.)
- Combine the butter, sugar, and sifted cocoa powder in a small bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds.
- Remove from the microwave and whisk together until smooth. Add the salt and vanilla. Stir for about a minute to cool down, then whisk in the egg. Whisk in the flour, until smooth and well combined (about 50 strokes). This also helps to aerate them.
- Divide the batter equally amongst the buttered muffin cups. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Leave to cool for a few minutes before tipping out onto a wire rack to cool for about 20 minutes.
- Break or cut the rocky road into large pieces. Set on top of each warm brownie bite pressing gently. Set aside to cool completely.
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One thing I wanted to get for myself when I was setting up my new kitchen was an Air Fryer. I had had a really good one in the UK that I used often. It was a T-Fal Opti fry and was very easy to use. I loved it.
Of course I had gotten it quite a few years ago. It was rather on the large side and did take up a lot of room. Air Fryers have come a long way since I had gotten that one. They basically serve a multitude of functions now
You can even bake cakes in them, although I have never done so admittedly.
I had ordered a Panasonic one from the Bay which never did arrive and so I ended up buying one at our local Home Hardware. It is a Kuraidori Multi-function Air Fryer.
So far I have been very pleased with it. It is a multi-function rotisserie air fryer. So far I haven't used anything other than the basic functions with it.
I have to say these new air fryers take some getting used to, at least for this old dog. For a time was calling my air fryer the "cremator," but I am slowly getting the hang of it.
It is said that an air fryer gives you all of the advantages of deep frying without any of the calories, especially f you enjoy fried foods. Can I be honest here?
If you are looking for deep fried flavor, you are not going to get it with an air fryer. You will get crisp in most cases however.
You do also have to time things very carefully because you can go from perfection to inedible at the drop of a hat, but having said that I am enjoying getting to know mine and eating things I am preparing in it.
MY HELPFUL TIPS FOR USING AN AIR FRYER
1. Read the instruction manual for your air fryer very carefully before cooking. This will help to make sure you understand specific features of your air fryer before you start to cook.
2. You can cook foods typically cooked in the oven in your air fryer. Because the air fryer is a more condensed rather than a regular oven, it is recommended that you cut the oven temperature by 25 - 50*F (6-10*C). You should also cut about 20% off of the cook times.
3. To help prevent foods from sticking to your air fryer basket, spray with nonstick cook spray before add the food, or line the basket with baking parchment. You can also get your food to crisp up better by spraying occasionally with cooking spray during the cooking process.
4. Don't over-fill the basket. Bear in mind you will probably need to cook in batches as needed.
5. Light foods may blow around from the pressure of the fan. Secure foods in the basket to help prevent this. Toothpicks come in very handy for this. My air fryer came with two baskets. I place the light food in one and then put the other basket over top. This works well.
6. Don't be afraid to check your food while cooking by opening your air fryer. This will not alter or disturb the cooking times, but it is one sure way to prevent your food from being over cooked.
One thing I have been really enjoying in my Air Fryer this week is Sweet Potatoes. I adore Sweet Potatoes. They are one of my favorite vegetables.
Not only are they deliciously filled with fiber, but they are actually considered to be a super food, packing a real nutritional wallop! They have about 50% more fiber than a regular baking potato and are loaded with Vitamins A and C.
I have always loved them baked. Normally I would throw them into the oven on a baking tray and leave them to bake while the rest of the meal is cooking.
This week I am taking advantage of my air fryer to do the exact same thing, with excellent results.
Do note however, it has been my experience when baking sweet potatoes, either in the oven or the air fryer, you are never going to get the really crisp skin that you might get when baking regular potatoes.
Nothing special is needed, other than the sweet potatoes themselves and an air fryer! Do take care when picking out your sweet potatoes.
Be sure to pick potatoes that are smooth skinned and blemish free, without any dark spots. Also no wrinkles or cracks. A wrinkled sweet potato usually indicates an old sweet potato!
Scrub your sweet potatoes really well with a vegetable brush and then dry them with some paper towels. You can then prick them all over with a fork.
Toss them into your air fryer basket and bake away! I usually do two at a time. I do have to say an air fryer is ideal for a person on their own or a couple, unless you have a super large one!
Personally I really enjoy them with a nice pat of butter, some salt and pepper, but you can top them with anything. Chili. Cheese. Sour Cream, bacon . . . chives. The world really is your oyster when it comes to these delicious nutritional giants!
Any leftovers can be wrapped and refrigerated. To reheat I simply peel and reheat gently in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Delicious!
Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes
Yield: 2
Cook time: 40 MinTotal time: 40 Min
These are delicious. They end up perfectly baked in less time than it takes to bake them in a regular oven. I love them.
Ingredients
- 2 medium sized sweet potatoes
Instructions
- Wash the sweet potatoes really well then dry with some paper towels. Prick them all over with a fork.
- Place in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry for 35 to 40 minutes at 375*F/190*C.
- Serve hot, split open and with your favorite toppings.
Notes
If you don't have an air fryer, you can easily bake sweet potatoes in the oven. Wash and prick as above. Bake at 400*F/200*C for about an hour at which time the potato should be soft in the centre and yield slightly to light pressure. A knife will slip in very easily.
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!!
When I was growing up Saturday night was always baked bean night. Mom used to make her own baked beans most of the time. She would soak the dried beans over night in cold water.
Early in the morning she would be parboiling the soaked beans on top of the stove. She always added a pinch of baking soda to the water. I am not sure why, but I can remember them foaming up and she would skim off the foam and then discard it.
(I just looked it up and it is thought that adding soda to the beans makes them less gassy, or takes out the snap as mom would say!)
To them she would add molasses, brown sugar, cider vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Enough of the soaking/boiling water would also be added so that they were just covered.
A whole onion, peeled would be pushed down into them and then salt pork laid over the top.
These would bake in a slow oven all day. As the day wore on you could smell them baking and the smell was gorgeous.
About an hour before they were finished, she would take them out of the oven and mash a cup full of the beans, stirring them back into the crock. This thickened them.
You could not ask for a more delicious supper. With brown bread, sometimes ham, sometimes wieners. We didn't care, either or.
If we were having wieners she would fry them in butter. Oh my but the two things were so fabulous together. To this day I still adore having beans with wieners. (Also known as frankfurters or hotdogs.)
These days I am not likely to bake myself a whole crock of beans however. With there only being me in the house, it just isn't practical. It is something I might do when my family comes to visit, but not when its just me.
That doesn't mean that I can't still enjoy the odd baked bean supper and this recipe for Skillet Beans & Wieners is a great way to do that! Its simple and delicious, and goes together lickety split! The original recipe fed six people and so I cut it in half to feed only three.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SKILLET BEANS & WIENERS
There is nothing complicated about this.
- 1 can (16 ounce/420g) baked beans
- 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 slices streaky bacon, chopped
- 4 hotdogs/wieners/frankfurters cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 TBS tomato ketchup
- 1 TBS Dijon mustard
- 2 TBS soft light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tsp canola oil
I like to freeze my bacon in single slices. I roll each slice up and place them next to each other in a zip lock baggie before putting them into the freezer. Ready to take out, one or two at a time, and then chop while still frozen. Its easy.
If you are in the UK, chances are you are using beans in tomato sauce. In that case add a TBS of dark treacle to the mix.
Also if your beans are really liquid-y, I would drain away some of the liquid. You don't want the end result to be too soupy.
Today I used a can of Bush's Baked Beans with Pork. Mom used to buy Grave's beans when she bought baked beans, but I bought a can a few months back and they were not the Grave's baked beans I was used to. I do not recommend. (Sorry, just saying.)
I am also a bit fussy when it comes to wieners or hotdogs. I like the all beef ones. I don't really like chicken dogs or cheap hotdogs and I abhor Larsen's which is a brand name you can get here. They smell like socks, and not clean ones. (Again, just saying.)
HOW TO MAKE SKILLET BEANS & WEINERS
Its not rocket science, and you might not even need a recipe, but if you do it this way, it is mighty good.
You might question the use of a bit of oil when there is fat on the bacon and in the hotdogs, but trust me, you do need a little bit of it as it helps to prevent the bacon, onions and wieners from sticking to the pan.
Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.
Add the cut up wieners and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the wieners are starting to brown.
Add the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil. Reduce to a slow simmer and continue to cook for about 25 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
Serve hot, spooned onto warm plates with your favorite sides! On this day I enjoyed mine with some scalloped potatoes and crusty bread.
I can tell you however that corn bread and coleslaw are also really wonderful with this meal. And, even though it is meant for a small batch, as a singleton there will be leftovers, but no worries. This is fabulous reheated the next day with some toast for another simple supper or lunch.
You know it really is often the small things in life which bring us the most pleasure, and this simple supper is a real single or family pleaser. To feed six people, simply double the amounts of everything.
The heart wants what the heart wants sometimes you know, and on this day my heart wanted this. I was very content with this simple meal.
Skillet Beans & Wieners (small batch)
Yield: 3
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 35 Min
A quick and easy meal to prepare on busy days. I like to serve it with scalloped potatoes, bread and butter, but coleslaw and cornbread are also favorite go-withs!
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce/420g) tin of baked beans, undrained
- 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 slices of bacon diced
- 4 smoked frankfurters (wieners) cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 TBS tomato ketchup
- 1 TBS Dijon mustard
- 2 TBS soft light brown sugar
- 2 tsp canola oil
Instructions
- Place the oil into a medium sized skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the bacon and onions.
- Cook, stirring frequently, until they have started to lightly brown. Add the wieners. Continue to cook, until most of the wieners are lightly browned.
- Add the baked beans, ketchup, mustard and brown sugar. Mix well together. Reduce the heat to low.
- Simmer for 25 minutes or so, until slightly thickened. Serve hot.
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