BEST Dark CHOCOLATE BROWNIE MUFFINS
REINDEER ~and~ Thanksgiving TURKEYS
1/2 cup (1 stick ~ 8 TB) unsalted butter, melted
1 TB vegetable or canola oil.........................1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs ........................................................... 2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. instant coffee powder..........................1/2 cup flour (yes, this small amount is right)
1/2 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking powder.................................. 1/4 tsp. salt
Decorations:
10 mini Peanut Butter Cups ......................... 10 sets of small candy eyes
10 red balls (noses)....................................... 20 broken small twist pretzels
TIP: Have a couple of extra eyes & noses, in case you "lose" a couple under the PB cup later.
NOTE: The eyes & red balls should be by the cake decorating stuff on the baking aisle. If not, you can use decorating icing in tubes to put dots of white and red instead.
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Preheat oven to 350. Line 10 muffin cups (cupcake pan) with paper liners & set aside.
Whisk together melted butter, oil and sugar in large bowl for about a minute. Then add eggs and vanilla, and whisk those in for about another minute. Whisk in the baking powder and salt for about 30 sec.
Add the unsweetened cocoa powder and instant coffee powder. Mine was a little "clumpy" so I first whisked it to get the lumps out ~ then switched to a wooden spoon. Scrape down sides of the bowl and beat in the flour (but just until fully combined ~ don't overbeat).
I used an ice cream scoop to fill the muffin cups (the silicone muffin / cupcake pans are a little larger than metal, so you may get 12 if your muffin tin is smaller). Bake for 17-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. The tops may not look done, but you don't want them too dry.
WHILE THEY'RE BAKING ... unwrap your peanut butter cups ~ set out your eyes, noses and pretzels.
As soon as they come out of the oven ~ push the peanut butter cups (larger side DOWN) into the middle of the brownie muffins. Next, lightly set the red noses where you want them (don't push down b/c the PB cup won't have melted enough yet, but it will melt and the nose will stick) ~ Next, put the 2 eyes on the PB cup (which should be melting faster now) ~ and last, stick the broken pretzels in above the PB cup (broken side out, rounded side in the muffin)
Let them cool completely in the pan before taking them out b/c they're a moist brownie and you don't want them to collapse on a rack.