Midnight Milky Way Brownies
If you have kids that are currently too old to go out trick or treating and are deprived of the chance to forage through their candy bag after they're asleep or at school (c'mon, we're all guilty of it, right?) you may not yet have had the opportunity to taste a Milky Way Midnight. And that's a darn shame, because unlike the overly sugary sweetness of the traditional milk chocolate caramel bar (not my favorite by a long shot) the Midnight version features rich dark chocolate, golden caramel and vanilla nougat--decidedly deeper, darker and more chocolate-y than the original. Adding chopped up pieces to an already thick deeply fudgy brownie will send you right up through the Milky Way and into Heaven!! Guys, these are truly amazing! I've made them twice in the last few weeks and each time they were oohed and aahed over, partly because they look as good as they taste! If I didn't inundate you with dessert choices in yesterday's post and you're still looking for something to bring to a Memorial Day get together, you can't go wrong with these beauties!!
I make a lot of desserts and am usually pretty good about being able to take a bite or two and then walk away or I'd weigh a zillion pounds, but there are couple of things that I cannot resist-- namely chocolate chip cookies and brownies and so I manage my lack of self control with regards to these temptations in one of two ways: 1) bake and give away immediately while mourning the loss with a private tantrum or 2) keep them in the house and quietly sneak them over the next few days convincing myself that the calories count less if I don't eat a whole portion at once but spread it out over the course of a day. Once I took a bite of these candy-filled brownies, I knew I had to go the option #1 route, or I'd be mourning the loss of my waistline!!!
These are intensely chocolate and dense with every-so-often bites of chewy, chocolate-covered caramel and nougat and eaten cold right out of the fridge they are like the best fudge you have ever tasted (not that I would know, since I sensibly gave them all away, or did I?) What is it about brownies that makes them so irresistible?!! Someone should do a study. Anyhoo, pick up a few Midnight bars and bake up a batch of these for your next big get-together and people will cheer and the sound will reach clear up to the sky and (you guessed it) the Milky Way--ok, I'll stop now. Just make them--I guarantee they'll become one of your all-time favorites!!
Midnight Milky Way Brownies
Makes 16 large brownies or 24 smaller ones
Prep Time: 20 minutes; Bake Time: 45-50 minutes (plus at least 2 hours of chilling time in the fridge after they're baked and cooled)
Ingredients
- 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cake flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Five 1.76 ounce Milky Way Midnight bars, chilled and cut into small cubes
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
- 5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
- 5 large eggs
- 2 cups superfine sugar (you can make this yourself--just whizz ordinary sugar in a food processor for a minute or so)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
The Recipe
1. Make sure the oven rack is in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325ºF. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with foil so that the foil extends over the sides of the pan. Spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Sift the flours, cocoa, baking powder and salt into a medium-sized bowl. In a small bowl, place about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the mixture and add the chopped candy bars. Toss to coat the pieces well. Set aside.
3. Place the butter and chocolate in the bowl of a double boiler over barely simmering water. Stir every now and then until fully melted. Remove the bowl and let the mixture cool for about 5- 10 minutes until not boiling hot.
4. In a large bowl, add the eggs and whisk them for about 1 minute to blend well. Then add the sugar and whisk briefly, just to incorporate. Add in the chocolate mixture and whisk and then the vanilla extract. Sift the flour mixture over the top and gently whisk it in, only mixing until no traces of flour are visible. Stir in the candy.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until puffy and set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the brownies cool completely. When cool, transfer to the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. Peel off foil and cut brownies into squares.
6. You can store them at room temperature in an airtight container for a few days or much longer in the fridge. Chilled, they're a bit more fudgy--fantastic!
Enjoy!
Note: Recipe adapted from The Good Cookie by Tish Boyle.
