Rocky Road Brownies

Welcome your favorite students home from their first day of school with these kid-favorite-topping-ed brownies.  Or wait until they return from school and make these together.  Either way, these brownies are a great way to end the day (and to send in lunchboxes the following day).

Best wishes for a great school year and for this brownie being the only rocky road you encounter!

Ingredients:

Rocky Road Brownies

1.      2 c all-purpose flour

2.      ½ c unsweetened cocoa powder

3.      1 t baking powder

4.      1 t table salt

5.      2 sticks (16 T) unsalted butter

6.      1 ¾ c granulated sugar

7.      2 c semisweet chocolate chips, divided

8.      3 eggs

9.      2 t vanilla extract

10.  ¼ c heavy cream

11.  3 oz milk chocolate, finely chopped or chips

12.  1 ½ c mini marshmallows

13.  ½ c chopped dry-roasted peanuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350.  Coat a 9x13 inch baking pan with non-stick spray.

Whisk together ingredients #1-4.  Melt butter and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until bubbles form around edge of pan; remove from heat.  Stir in 1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips until melted.  Then stir this chocolate mixture into flour mixture until combined (at this point, I used a stand mixer because it’s pretty thick).  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix until combined.  Using a spatula, gently fold in remaining semi-sweet chocolate chips. 

Spread into prepared pan.  Bake brownies for 30 minutes or until edges are set and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

For the topping, heat cream until it starts to boil.  Pour over chopped milk chocolate in a bowl and cover for 5 minutes.  Stir until ganache is smooth.

Sprinkle marshmallows and peanuts (if using) over brownies.  Briefly return brownies to oven for 2-3 minutes to soften marshmallows.  Drizzle ganache over topping and let cool before serving.