Breezy Bakes: Fudgy Rocky Road Brownies

Chocolate!!! There is not a single person in my family that is not a chocoholic. One of our favorite family stories is when we were visiting Grandma and Grandpa Goggins and my mom asked Braelyn, after drinking some hot cocoa, "Do you like warm chocolate?" In the enthusiastic three year old tone that she has she immediately replied, "I like warm chocolate. I like cold chocolate...I like ALL chocolate!!!" But really, who doesn't?!

My mom made these delicious Rocky Road type brownies when we were up there for the holidays. They were divine because, of course, they were full of chocolate. In my true form I couldn't wait to come home and try my own twist on her knock out recipe. Really the only thing I did differently was bake them thicker with more melted chocolate in the batter, added caramel, and drizzled chocolate on top instead of spreading chocolate frosting.

Hahaha! Really??? A fork in this picture? As if! You know you are going to just pick these bad boys up and shove the whole thing in your mouth, one chocolately fudgy brownie at a time. Don't lie. In all seriousness, these brownies should come with one warning label: Consumption requires a tall glass of ice cold milk!

Fudgy Rocky Road Brownies

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup butter, melted

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 bag miniature marshmallows (10 oz.)

1/4 cup caramel topping

1 cup milk chocolate chips for drizzling (can use semi sweet if you prefer)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for metal pan or 325 for glass pan (I prefer glass). Once oven is preheated spread pecans on a baking sheet and toast in oven for 5 minutes, stir and toast for 3 minutes more. Remove from oven and set aside. Grease a 9 X 13 glass cake pan and set aside.

2. In a microwave safe dish, microwave butter until melted. Pour in 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips into the warm melted butter and stir until chocolate is completely melted. Set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs together. Add sugar and whisk until incorporated.

4. In another smaller bowl combine flour, cocoa powder and salt. Mix together.

5. Pour melted butter and chocolate into egg mixture and stir until combined. (Easy job for the kiddos. Who needs hired help these days?!) Then pour in flour/cocoa mixture and stir until incorporated.

6. Pour batter into greased 9 X 13 cake pan and smooth batter evenly across pan.

7. Bake for 38-40 minutes until barely set. Pour marshmallows on top and return to oven for additional 3-5 minutes until marshmallows are barely golden brown and soft.

8. Let cool for 10 minutes. Drizzle caramel topping on top of marshmallows. Add 3/4 cup of the nuts. In a microwave safe glass dish, microwave chocolate chips for 30 seconds. Stir chocolate. Microwave for additional 15 seconds and stir. (Stir for a while since the warm chocolate will continue to melt and you do not want to overcook the chocolate chips) Continue microwaving in 15 second increments until chocolate is melted. Pour melted chocolate into a Ziploc bag and cut a tiny corner off. Close bag and squeeze chocolate through the slit to make drizzling easier. Drizzle over pecans. Top with remaining pecans.