star spangled brownies
Totally bought the wrong M&Ms for this recipe.
When I opened the bag and saw how fucking massive the candies looked, I wondered what in the world the manufacturers did to enlarge the candies so much: M&Ms aren’t usually that huge. Then I actually looked at the writing: peanut butter.
First thought: Aw shit fuck I fucked up I can’t make this recipe fuck.
Second thought: Well I already opened this shit and don’t have any better ideas, so I guess we’re rolling with it.
Pretty glad I rolled with it, honestly. These are really good.
Because of this flub, you have a couple options when it comes to choosing your M&Ms, which makes these brownies even more dope than they were initially. You can swing like me and buy the peanut butter red, white, and blue candies (probably on purpose, unlike me), or the regular, and your result will be amazing either way.
Bonus points if you bake these on a rainy day, such as today has proven here. Warm chocolatey essences in the kitchen while the droplets float down tree leaves and windowpanes feels extra cozy. Little better, folks.
These patriotic squares are amazing for both Memorial Day, and to bookmark for 4th of July in a couple months. The gooey, fudgy base of my favorite casual brownie gets an upgrade with a bit of instant espresso and plenty of little gems swirled within the batter and popped on top. A surefire favorite over the summer.
And if they don’t become a favorite, your sense of taste is bad and you should feel bad.
Brownie Batter Bliss
I’ve found the formula I like best for fudge brownies – and I do hope you love them like I do. I won’t sit here and faff about them being the best, because some of ya’ll might have slightly different tastebuds than me. I can promise that they’re great, you won’t regret trying them out, and they’ll vanish from a platter in half an instant.
Start by melting butter with dark chocolate chips until totally smooth. I just do this in the microwave for about a minute, then whisk it up immediately with sugar and brown sugar. The latter gives the brownies an extra chew that’s pretty damn delightful.
Then, whip up a few eggs until they’re very bubbly. I usually pop them into my stand mixer and let them whirl while I work on the butter mixture. A good few minutes ensures the eggs are well beaten, which gives the finished brownies that beautiful crackly shell.
Stream the chocolate mixture into the eggs, then some instant coffee (you don’t have to use this, I just love the oomph it gives the chocolate) and vanilla. Mix in flour, cocoa powder, a touch of baking powder, and salt. Don’t overmix. Stop when that last streak of flour disappears into the batter.
Pick Your Candies
Grab a bag of either regular or peanut butter seasonal M&Ms. Or, shit, if they make other flavors. I don’t really know if they do or not.
Fold into the batter some of those M&Ms and more dark chocolate chips. Pour the batter into a 9 x 9 inch baking pan lined with parchment, dot with the remaining M&Ms, and bake 30-35 minutes at 350. You can also use a 9 x 13 inch cake pan; baking time will round out at closer to 20-25 minutes since the brownies will be less girthy.
The top will crinkle, your nose will wrinkle, and your appetite will tinkle. The glorious aroma of baked goods will tempt you to dig your face right into the hot brownies. Don’t do that, third degree burns are serious.
Instead, let them cool about 30 minutes before attempting to cut, else they’ll fall apart just like all of my dreams this past year.
These beauties keep swimmingly for about a week in the fridge, so if you want to make them ahead of time, you’ve got some leeway. Not that you have a week before Memorial Day, but still. I actually like them even more after they’ve had some time to set up; the fats in the brownies solidify and create an even fudgier texture.
Little easier and more satisfying than a batch of brownies. Rad for entertaining because one recipe makes quite a few, especially if you use a larger pan. Dive in and enjoy!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Pound the brownies downy:
Extra Crinkly Nutella Fudge Brownies
star spangled brownies
Ingredients
- 10 tbsp butter
- 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp instant espresso or coffee (optional)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup red, white, and blue M&Ms
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 9 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs until very bubbly and frothy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Melt the butter and 1 cup of chocolate chips in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir until smooth, then whisk in the sugar and brown sugar until well combined.
- With the mixer running, stream the chocolate mixture into the eggs. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed to incorporate. Mix in the instant espresso/coffee (if using) and vanilla.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until just combined. Fold in 3/4 cup of M&Ms and the remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Press the remaining 1/4 cup of M&Ms onto the surface. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the center is set and an inserted toothpick emerges with just a few moist crumbs. Cool at least 30 minutes, then slice and serve!
