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Recipe for brownie cupcakes

Rich and gooey brownie cupcakes, for children of all ages.

Three ways I know I am not a natural born baker: (1) I hate to measure; (2) It never occurs to me that my pantry always has all of the ingredients needed for basic cookies, cakes and muffins; and (3) If what I'm baking doesn't contain chocolate, I just don't see the point in making it. Over the holidays, while cleaning out my pantry, I discovered three (!) tins of Hershey's cocoa powder. It was a sign, and these brownie cupcakes, made from a recipe on the Hershey's web site -- with a bowl and spoon, and no mixer to clean -- were the result. The cupcakes are slightly gooey inside, as good brownies should be, and they were rich enough without frosting, though you certainly could frost them, and add sprinkles and nuts and M&Ms and anything else. I had a bit of royal icing on hand, and used that for a simple swirl. We stored leftovers in an air-tight container for two days, which was the limit of how long we could hold out before finishing every last bite.

Brownie cupcakes, on The Perfect Pantry.

Brownie cupcakes

From the pantry, you'll need: butter, cocoa powder, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, pure vanilla extract, all-purpose unbleached flour, walnuts (optional).

This recipe, from the Hershey's web site, makes 15 2-inch cupcakes (without nuts).

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
1-1/3 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin pans with 15 paper baking cups (use two muffin pans, and divide the number of muffins equally between them), and set aside.

Place the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl (I use an 8-cup glass measuring cup). Microwave on HIGH for 1-1/2 minutes, or until the butter is melted.

With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in the cocoa powder until the mixture is smooth. Then, add both sugars, and stir until well blended. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract. Add the flour and, if you're using them, 1 cup of the walnuts, and stir until the batter is well combined.

Use an ice cream scoop to fill the muffin cups 2/3 full. Sprinkle remaining chopped nuts (optional) over the top of each.

Bake 22-25 minutes, until the tops are cracked and feel firm (the inside will still be moist).

Remove from the oven and let the brownies sit in the muffin pan for 10 minutes. Then, remove to a wire rack, and cool completely.

Can be stored overnight in an airtight container at room temperature.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]


More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Chocolate chunk brownies
Quick and easy fudge mocha brownies
Whole wheat walnut cocoa brownies
White chocolate brownies
Chocolate cake in a mug

Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Chocolate fudge cupcakes, from Sass & Veracity
Chocolate stout cupcakes with vanilla cream cheese frosting, from Pinch My Salt
German chocolate brownies, from My Baking Addiction
Chocolate brownie cookies, from Joy the Baker
Chocolate mint brownies, from David Lebovitz


Disclosure: The Perfect Pantry earns a few pennies on purchases made through the Amazon.com links in this post. Thank you for supporting this site when you start your shopping here.

Comments

Your intro made me laugh, Lydia! Especially #3. :-)

These Brownie Cupcakes are lovely. The pretty swirl tops are especially nice. I think there should be a gluten-free version. Maybe this weekend. ;-)

Shirley, you could certainly substitute a gluten-free flour. What other changes would need to be made to make these brownies gluten-free?

I have a sad feeling that if I clean out my pantry I will not be finding a treasure trove of cocoa powder . . . more like plenty of fish sauce!

I need to take cookies to a sled hockey tournament this weekend, however, and your post reminds me to look through my baking pantry and see what I shall make.

Thanks!

GAAAH! There was a bag of black beans in my baking pantry!
I'm so glad I had a mug of tea before I threw them in, instead of chocolate chips, into the cookie dough.

Chocolate. Hershey's. One-bowl. Gooey. Perfect!

Kirsten, I'm laughing a out loud at athe idea of black bean mix-ins!

Jamie, sometimes gooey is really all you need.

May you always have "signs" like this!!!

Donna, my husband and grand kids agree with you.

Wow these look good and ironically on the day this was published it was my HUSBAND's birthday! Maybe I will make him "belated birthday brownie cupcakes!"

I'm so not a baker either, but I think I could handle this one!

Hahha.. me too the same. I always have problems when baking but i never quit because of that. Now I think I am a good baker. I love to bake cupcakes.

These literally just came out of the oven to solve a chocolate emergency!

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