Brownies 3 Ways

I hope that everyone had a good Father's Day. I had a great weekend spending time with family and friends. On Saturday we had a big pre-Father's Day BBQ and pool party and then on Sunday we were able to just spend time together as a family. My girls loved making breakfast for their daddy in the morning and taking care of him all day. For dinner we had a big "meaty" meal and when I asked my husband if he had eaten any of the vegetables that I had made he said, "It's Father's Day, I should at least get one day off". I thought that it was so cute that I didn't even say another word. I guess that he can have a day off once a year if he wants. To put the icing on the cake, so to speak, here is a great dessert for that father in your life. Who doesn't love a rich fudgy brownie with a candy bar inside?

When you look at the amounts of the ingredients in this recipe don't freak out. It is enough to bake in a cookie sheet and can accommodate all three kinds into one pan. This is great if you have a big family get together or party to bring them to. The recipe makes about 40 good sized brownies and they are so rich and fudgy that you could probably cut them in half and still be satisfied. If you want to make less, you can halve the recipe and bake it in a 9 x13 or use 1/3 of the recipe for an 8 x 8.

I used three different candy bars, Snickers minis, the miniature Reeses Peanut Butter Cups and the small York Peppermint patties. These were all so good I am not sure that I could pick a favorite but my husbands favorite definitely was the Reeses, which is his favorite candy bar. I am sure that you could make these with any of your favorite candy bars. As a word of advise, these need to cool for a long period of time and it is best if they sit in the refrigerator before cutting. This will help you get that crisp clean cut. I brought some of them to a lunch at the park today and unfortunately they hadn't cooled all the way before I cut them and the hot weather outside didn't help much either so they looked like a mess and were quite melted (sorry ladies!!!). These are best served right out of the refrigerator which consequently is also the best place to store them. So if you have a hankering for a great fudgy snack, whip up a batch of these and you won't be disappointed.

Candy Bar Brownies

(Adapted form a Martha Stewart recipe)

3 sticks of unsalted butter(1 1/2 cups)

3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cups cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

24 ounces chocolate chips (2 bags, I use the 60% cocoa ones)

1 Tbs. Vanilla

3 3/4 cups sugar

9 large eggs

about 40 each of York peppermint patties, Snickers minis and miniature Reeses Peanut butter cups (have them unwrapped and ready to use)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. In a bowl mix together the dry ingredients and whisk to combine; Set aside.

2. Place the butter and chocolate chips in a large bowl set over a pan of simmering water (make sure the bowl in not touching the water). Heat stirring occasionally until the butter and the chocolate chips are melted. Remove from heat and add in the sugar and vanilla. Stir until combined. Add in the eggs a few at a time mixing well after each addition. Add the flour mixture 1/3 at a time stirring until just combined. Do not over mix.

3. Spread about half of the batter onto the bottom of the pan using an offset spatula to spread evenly ( it helps to warm the spatula by running it under hot water). Using three different sections make rows of the candy bars. Over lap just the peppermint patties (like shingles on a roof). Leave a little border around the edges of the pan and between the different sections. (I made 3 rows of 12 of each the peppermint patties and the snickers and 4 rows of the Reeses). Carefully spread the remaining batter over the top of the candy bars using the offset spatula. Tap the pan on the counter to help even the batter and remove any air bubbles.

4. Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the brownies are set and the edges are crisp. Cool in the pan for several hours and then move to the fridge to cool and set completely. Slice them with a sharp damp knife, rinsing between cuts. Store in the refrigerator.