Mars Bar Brownies

We STILL have Halloween candy sitting in our pantry! The kids usually forget about it about two weeks after Halloween and if it's hidden so do I. Every once in awhile we dig in to satisfy a sweet tooth but the kids had such a big haul this year that there's still a lot left.  

I didn't want to throw it out but didn't want it to go bad either so I decided to bake with it! This is my go to brownie recipe - super fudgy and rich! And let me tell you that when you add 32 chopped up mini Mars bars it even more rich and fudgy PLUS caramelly (hmmm is that even a word?). If you eat them warm they will barely hold together and the caramel drips over your fingers...mmmm. If you can wait until they cool they definitely hold together  better and taste just as good (except no warm caramel). 

In case you haven't realized it yet...they are in no way healthy and your waist line will expand just chopping the chocolate but your taste buds will be dancing all over your tongue!

Mini Mars Bar heaven.

Chop them up!

Spread them out.

Top with brownie batter.

Speechless!

Adapted from a recipe by Michael Smith.


Ingredients:

• 8 oz of good quality dark chocolate
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract (preferably pure)
• 32 mini Mars bars, chopped into smaller pieces

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch pan. Note: I use extra cocoa instead of flour so there is no white flour color on the brownies when baked.
• Melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Stir until smooth and remove from heat to cool.
• Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
• Once melted chocolate mixture has a cooled a bit, add sugar, eggs and vanilla. Stir well.
• Add the chocolate mixture to the flour bowl and mix until incorporated.
• Spread 1/2 of the batter into the pan.
• Sprinkle mini Mars bars over batter.
• Dollop remaining batter over bars and spread as evenly as possible (doesn't have to be perfect.)
• Bake for 25 minutes.
• Cool.
• Enjoy!

A heart cookie cutter and a few pink decorations
gives you an adorable Valentine's Day treat!