Mini Brownie Cupcakes

Happy weekend!  These little brownie bites are super tasty. I've made this brownie cupcake recipe a few times for a baby shower and as a present... they're also my little brother's favorite Bella Cupcake!  The last time I made them I decided to drizzle them with caramel, add some almond slivers and mini chocolate chips and they were amazing.

They are sort of like a mini turtle pie brownie... They're very rich and decadent, which is why I think I like them better as a mini sized cupcake.  The 2 bites of deliciousness is just enough to satisfy my cupcake cravings 🙂

Mini Brownie Cupcakes: (Recipe Adapted from: For the Love of Food)

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 ¼ cups Sugar
• 4 Eggs
• 1 ¼  cups Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder
• 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 tbs Vanilla Extract
• 1 ½ cups Flour
• 2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Line 24 mini cupcake tins with paper liners.
3. In a medium sized bowl melt butter for 30-45 seconds in the microwave.  Add the sugar and melt the mixture for another 1-2 minutes, just until it's hot.
4. In a standing bowl mixer crack the eggs, add cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
5. Add the butter & sugar mixture to the standing bowl mixer.
6. Add flour to the mixture and then combine.  Mixture will be thick, but combine until smooth.  Add the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.
7. Spoon batter into mini cupcake tins, about 1 ½ teaspoon for each mini cupcake.
8. Bake for about 20-25 minutes.
9. Let cupcakes cool for a few minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting: (Source: Martha Stewart)

• 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter cut into pieces, room temperature
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• caramel bites
• almond slivers
• mini chocolate chips

1. Place cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, soften cream cheese. Gradually add butter, and continue beating until smooth and well blended. Sift in confectioners' sugar, and continue beating until smooth. Add vanilla, and stir to combine.
2. Pipe frosting with a star pastry tip.
3. Melt caramel bites in the microwave until smooth, if the caramel gets stiff, you can add milk to make it workable.
4. Drizzle caramel onto the cupcakes, add a few almond slivers and mini chocolate chips to each cupcake.

Hope you all have an amazing weekend! 😉

xoxo-Jenn