Brownie Bites with Chocolate Ganache

Hello there– it goes without saying that we do love brownies around here.  And add a swirl of chocolate ganache on top and well, that’s all the better!

My grandma was a healthy eater, grew up on a farm down south.  But she would always say she needed a small bite of sweet at the end of a meal.  I think she would have thought these mini brownies were just about right– a little indulgence to cap off dinner.

BROWNIE BITES WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Brownies:
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted
1/4 cup dark cocoa*
1 tsp. instant coffee**
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup flour

Ganache:
1/4 cup cream
1 tab. butter
2/3 cup chocolate chips (4 oz.)
cute little candies to drop on top***

Melt the butter in a microwave proof mixing bowl and then stir in the cocoa and instant coffee granules.

Stir in the sugar and eggs, vanilla and flour.  Spoon the batter into mini muffin cups****

Pop them into at 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes until the brownies are firm to the touch.

Let them cool, while you make the ganache.

Heat the butter and cream together in a saucepan, just until it begins to simmer.  Take it off the heat and stir in the chocolate.  Beat it for a couple minutes with a wooden spoon until it’s smooth and satiny.

Drizzle the ganache over the brownies and top them with the cutest little candies you can find.  Ready to eat!

*My favorite is the Hershey’s Dark unsweetened chocolate powder
**The recipe I worked from called for Espresso powder– not available at my market so I used instant coffee granules– adds a nice richness to the chocolate.
***Got the cute little red candies at Crate & Barrel –but there are bins of cute candies at those candy shops in the mall.
**** You can use mini muffin papers, or just spray mini muffin trays with cooking spray.