I absolutely love bite size desserts, don’t you?

And I really think they’re awesome during the holidays.
Because it means that I get to try a little bit of everything for dessert. 
Let’s face it, at this time of year the food can be pretty gosh darn incredible.

With a boxed brownie mix, mini peppermint patties, some semi-homemade frosting, and crushed candy cane, you can have a pretty spectacular dessert that will look like you went to a lot of trouble and will definitely impress friends and family. 
They’ll think you slaved in the kitchen, but you’re secret’s safe with me!

SAVE THIS PEPPERMINT SURPRISE BROWNIE BITES RECIPE  TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!

I knew I had to make these Peppermint Brownie Bites this year because I LOVE hiding surprises in my desserts.
I think it just makes them that much better, and I love to see the reaction on people’s faces when they bite into one, like these Salted Caramel Cashew Brownie Bites or my TWIX Bites Brownies. YUM!

They’ve become a favorite of my followers, as are these Mini Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecakes. 
When Easter rolls around, be sure to add these Easter Egg Hunt Surprise Cookies to your menu.
Everyone will love those, too!

Of course, cookies can be considered to be bite sized, too!
Yes, you may take a few bites of one cookies, but they’re certainly worth it. 

Some of my favorites this time of year are these Double Chocolate Peppermint Kisses, Peppermint Blossom Cookies, Viennese Crescents, Cream Cheese Cookies.
Use cookie cutters with these Vanilla Sugar Cookies, and then the whole family can have fun decorating them.

You can even cut these butterscotch chocolate chip brownies, chocolate overload loaded brownies, and hot chocolate brownies into smaller pieces to make them bite size. 
But why would you want to? HA! 😉

Though you might not be able to eat any of my Dream Bar recipes in one bite, you’ll love them so much that you wouldn’t want to stop at just one.
This time of year, my Peppermint Dream Dessert and Cranberry Orange Dream Bars, and Red Velvet Cherry Dream Bars are super popular because they’re filled with the flavors of the season.
However, any one of my other Dream Bar recipes will be a hit as well, especially since practically all of them are NO BAKE!

The most popular are the Chocolate Peanut Butter Dream Bars, but the Easy Turtle Dream Bars, and Chocolate Mint Dream Bars give them some stiff competition. 
You really can’t go wrong with any of them and they are so easy to make, so I strongly encourage you to give them a try if you haven’t already done so.

Tips for making this easy brownie dessert – 

• If you prefer to make this entire recipe from scratch, then by all means do so!
  You can use your favorite brownie recipe, and favorite frosting mix, like this chocolate buttercream. 
  And yes, you can use chocolate frosting. I think that would be delicious as well as a vanilla. 
• You can also use a canister of pre-made frosting to make things even easier! 
  Plus, you’ll have even less to clean up if you do it that way.
  If you prefer not to use a buttercream frosting, this stabilized whipped cream with the peppermint extract would be delicious, too!
• This recipe makes 36 brownie bites, so you will have to reuse the pan after you bake the first batch for the additional 12. 
  I like to evenly distribute the batter when baking the second batch, but I don’t think it makes a difference whether the cups are filled close together or not.
• No need to freeze the peppermint patties before placing them into the brownies. 
  Because they’re pretty solid, I didn’t have a problem with them melting. The chocolate covering softened a little while after they were inserted, but hardened again after they cooled.
• As with most anything baked, you want to make sure they’re completely cooled before you frost them.
• I used a large open star tip, like the Wilton #21. 
  Place the tip into a piping bag, fill the bag, and away you go!
• Add some color and a little crunch to your dessert, but finishing each of them off with a bit of crushed candy cane.
  If you don’t have candy canes, some brightly colored sprinkles in red and green will be just as pretty.

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Peppermint Brownie Bites {Surprise Inside}

Peppermint Brownie Bites are chewy brownies with a mini peppermint patty inside, frosted with peppermint buttercream. It's a festive bite size dessert for the holidays, like these Frosted Peanut Butter Cookie Cups, and I betcha can't eat just one!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Peppermint Brownie Bites

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes minutes

Total Time 38 minutes minutes

Servings 36 brownies

Calories 310kcal

Author Lynne Feifer

Equipment

• medium mixing bowl
• rubber spatula
• 24-cup mini muffin pan
• cooling rack
• Mixer
• piping bag and piping tip

Ingredients

Brownies

• 18.3 ounces boxed brownie mix
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 36 mini peppermint patties

Frosting

• 8 ounces vanilla buttercream frosting mix can also use chocolate
• ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract
• 8 tablespoons butter room temperature
• 2-3 tablespoons milk
• 1 candy cane crushed

Instructions

Brownies

• Preheat oven to 350°F, and prepare the 24-cup mini muffin tin by spraying each cup with cooking spray or a floured baking spray.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine the brownie mix, water, eggs and vegetable oil. Stir until thoroughly mixed and fill muffin cups so that they are 3/4's full with batter. There will be batter left for an additional 12 brownies.
• Bake for 18 minutes.
• Upon removing from the oven, place a mini peppermint patty into the center of each brownie. Allow to cool for about two minutes in the muffin tin. Transfer brownies to a cooling rack and cool completely before frosting.
• Do the same with remaining brownie batter.

Frosting - (follow if using a boxed frosting mix)

• Pour the frosting mix into a mixing bowl, and add the peppermint extract, butter, and milk. Mix until fully incorporated then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix on high for at least 3 minutes until frosting is light and fluffy.
• Place frosting into a piping bag, attached with the decorating tip of your choice (I used the Wilton Large Open Star Tip #21), and frost the brownies.
• Sprinkle each brownie with some of the crushed candy cane.

Notes

To frost, use the boxed frosting mix as directed above, a canister of pre-made frosting, or Stabilized Whipped Cream. I used the Wilton Large Open Star Tip #21 in a piping bag to frost them.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 92mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 96IU | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Easy Peppermint Brownie Bites {Surprise Inside!} appeared first on 365 Days of Baking.

Welcome to June!

This post is sponsored by Marich Chocolates. I was given the product in exchange for this post, however, as always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Kids are out of school or will soon be. Families are planning summer vacations. The weather’s getting warmer. And here in Phoenix, we’re looking forward to Monsoon season starting next month!

SAVE THESE BROWNIE BITES TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!

When you’re used to living on the east coast with rain in the forecast every other week or so, you sort of go through withdrawal when you move to the desert. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about the sunshine ovah heah, but we sure do love a good rainstorm.

It’s just those haboobs I can do without!

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We have seriously fallen in love with Marich Chocolates. I was first introduced to them through Fair Trade a few years ago when I partnered with them to do a post. I fell in love with them not only for their variety of delicious chocolates but also because they are Fair Trade certified.

This means that when you purchase a package of Marich Chocolates you’re getting a great quality product and your money for that purchase, in turn, will help the farmer of their ingredients. Better farming conditions, more money for the farmers to invest in their community and improve the lives of their family is something I’m all for. So when you buy a package of Marich Chocolates, it’s a WIN for everybody!

Besides, you can treat yourself to a bag of the chocolates to eat by themselves or use them to make your desserts that much more special. I like to do both and I think you will, too.

Follow Marich on…
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest

Summer is a great time to bring desserts to cook-outs. For the chocolate and peanut butter lovers, these Reese’s Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats will be met with a huge grin! These Lemon Coconut Sugar Cookies are just the right of tart with the perfect amount of sweet! Be the first to invite Fall to your summer BBQ with these Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars. You won’t be leaving the party without being asked for the recipe!

For more bite-sized brownie treats, I’m looking at these Healthy Brownie Bites, I like these for a sweet treat without all the guilt. I’m seriously drooling over these Fudgy Molten Lava Brookie Cups! Holy Cow!! These Fried Brownie Truffle Bites sound like a little bite of heaven.

I’d love to give those a try! For those with dietary restrictions, these Gluten and Sugar-Free Quinoa Bites with Sugar-Free Ganache would be the perfect treat. Or perhaps you know someone who might enjoy these – you can surprise them!

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Salted Caramel Cashew Brownie Bites

Salted Caramel Cashew Brownie Bites with a Marich Salted Caramel inside, topped with vanilla buttercream and a Marich Cashew are a great bite-sized treat!

Author Lynne Feifer

Ingredients

• 1 18.2- ounce box Dark Chocolate Fudge Brownie mix
• 1 4.75- ounce package Marich Chocolates Dark Chocolate Salted Caramels

Vanilla Buttercream

• 9 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2-3 tablespoons milk
• 1 [4.75-ounce package Dark Chocolate Salted Cashews|http://amzn.to/2qGdHdC}
• salted caramel ice cream topping

Instructions

• Preheat oven by preheating it to 350 degrees F. and prepare a 24-cup mini muffin tin by spraying it with cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, combine the ingredients as directed for the box of brownie mix.
• Fill each muffin cup so that each is 3/4 full.
• Bake for 18 - 21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the edge comes out clean.
• Allow tray to cool on a wire rack for about two minutes before inserting a March Salted Caramel into each brownie.
• Cool brownies in pan for an additional 10 minutes. Remove to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
• Continue with remaining brownie batter.

Vanilla Buttercream

• In a mixing bowl, cream the butter until smooth.
• Add the vanilla and powdered sugar, one cup at a time.
• Mix in the two tablespoons of milk until smooth and creamy.
• If needed, add the additional tablespoon of milk, one tablespoon at a time until frosting no longer appears dry.
• Using a small plastic bag or piping bag, frost the brownies.
• Place one Marich Salted Cashew on top of the frosting and drizzle each with the salted caramel topping.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Take a look at these great videos for more kinds of brownies…

The post Salted Caramel Cashew Brownie Bites appeared first on 365 Days of Baking.

Have you been watching the games?

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and The Coca-Cola Company. All opinions are mine alone.#GameDayGreats #CollectiveBias

Football on the weekends is where it’s at and you can’t pull me away from the TV on Sundays now that the season has started. I’m SO into it and it’s not just rooting for my team, I’m just really enjoying watching all the games in general.

SAVE THESE PORK BITES TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!

I was shopping in my local Fry’s the other day when I wanted to create a new appetizer for the family just for these events. They’ve just renovated the store and I’m absolutely in love with it!

They opened up space by condensing the aisles making them more efficient to find products, relocated the sushi bar, added a gorgeous cheese section with huge wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano, and even put in a wine bar! Kind of cool because there are two TVs on which you can watch the game should you be so inclined to do so. You can be sure you’ll find all you need to make your Game Day great at your local Kroger.

We absolutely love shredded pork and instead of going with the same ol’ shredded pork sandwiches, I decided to spice things up a bit (literally) and put them on our favorite RITZ cracker to make some bite-size morsels.

While watching men fight over a little brown ball, I always think it’s easier and a bit more fun if finger food is involved.

When they came out, they were sprinkled with a little bit of fresh cilantro and VOILA,  a great Game Day appetizer was born! Honestly, I have to tell you that the pictures don’t do them justice. There is SO very much flavor in that tiny little bite and everything comes together so nicely.

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Sweet and Spicy Coca-Cola Shredded Pork Bites

Sweet and Spicy Coca-Cola Shredded Pork Bites - RITZ crackers topped pork, caramelized onions, melted cheese and cilantro. Game Day will never be the same!

Author Lynne Feifer

Ingredients

• 1 1.5- lb. pork loin
• 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili paste more if you like more heat
• 8 ounces Coca-Cola
• 16 ounces your favorite barbecue sauce
• 1 13.7- ounce box RITZ crackers you'll need about 50 crackers
• caramelized onions
• about 3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack/Colby cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

• In a small bowl, combine onion powder, paprika, garlic powder, Old Bay Seasoning, salt, and pepper.
• Spread the chili paste over the entire pork loin.
• Rub the dry ingredients over the pork to completely cover.
• Place meat into the slow cooker and gently pour in the Coca-Cola and barbecue sauce.
• Cook on low for 4 - 5 hours, turning and stirring occasionally.
• Prepare the caramelized onions.
• Once pork is fork tender, remove and shred with two forks.
• Return to slow cooker for an additional 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven broiler to low.
• Prepare a baking sheet by covering it with parchment.
• Place the Ritz crackers onto the parchment.
• Using a small cookie scoop place about a tablespoon of the shredded pork on top.
• Add a few of the caramelized onions and sprinkle with a half teaspoon of shredded cheese.
• Place cookie sheet under the broiler for about 1 - 2 minutes or until cheese is melted, watching carefully.
• Sprinkle each with chopped cilantro and serve with additional Coca-Cola.

If you liked these Sweet and Spicy Coca-Cola Shredded Pork Bites, then you’ll love…

Chicken Enchilada Bites

Taco Braid

Slow Cooker Carne Asada Taco Boats

The post Sweet and Spicy Coca-Cola Shredded Pork Bites appeared first on 365 Days of Baking.