Mini Almond Joy Brownies

By carvalhohm

Ingredients

• For the brownies:
• 1/4 c. butter (plus more for greasing the muffin tins)
• 1/4 c. coconut oil (can use all butter, but the coconut oil flavor is good with the topping)
• 1 c. + 2 Tb. sugar
• 2 lg. eggs
• 2/3 c. cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. espresso powder (optional- enhances the chocolate flavor)
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 c. flour (I used whole wheat pastry with good results)
• 1 c. chocolate chips
• For the filling:
• 2 c. unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk (sorry- I dislike recipes that use half of things but there’s no getting around it…unless you make a double batch!)
• 36 whole almonds
• For the ganache:
• 3/4 c. bittersweet chocolate
• 1/3 c. butter
• 2 tsp. honey

Details

Adapted from anoregoncottage.com

Preparation

Step 1

Make the brownies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 36 mini muffin cups using a pastry brush and softened butter.

In a medium sized saucepan, combine the butter, coconut oil, and sugar. Stir over low heat until the butter and coconut oil are melted; continue to heat until the mixture is hot (110-120 degrees), but not bubbling (heating to this point will dissolve more of the sugar which creates a shiny top on your brownies).

Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder and vanilla until smooth. Add the hot sugar mixture and stir. Add the flour and beat til smooth. Quickly stir in the chocolate chips (not too much or they will all melt).

Use a small cookie scoop (or some other way to get an even amount of batter into each cup) to fill the mini muffin tin cups evenly with the batter.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Place tins on a rack to cool before removing brownies.

Make the filling: combine the coconut and the milk.

Scoop about a teaspoon of coconut mixture onto the center of each cooled brownie, molding it into a smooth top. Place an almond in the center of each coconut mound.

Freeze the mini brownies for 15 minutes.

For the ganache glaze: combine all the ingredients in a microwave-safe glass dish (or in the top of a double boiler) and heat just until melted (about 30 seconds in the microwave).

Remove the brownies from the freezer and dip the tops in the ganache glaze. Let sit until glaze is set and then store in an airtight container.