I baked some fudgy brownie cupcakes yesterday. My dad's staying with us this week, and I did something totally out of character: I went the easier route. I don't bake very often, so when I pull out the cupcake tin, I like to try some tempting recipe from a cookbook or blog. The kind of recipe that makes you feel like a rockstar when you gear up your KitchenAid for some work. But I knew this: there would be no time for experimental baking or measuring out a list of ingredients yesterday with everything on our to-do list. Luckily, my friend Liz had shared her super simple cupcake recipe with me. It goes like this:
1 box of Trader Joe's brownie truffle baking mix + Reese's peanut butter cups
the steps: melt 1 stick of unsalted butter, whisk two eggs, and combine with Trader Joe's brownie mix in a bowl with your spatula. Fill your tin, placing one peanut butter cup in the centers. (I covered the peanut butter cups with a little batter.) Stick in the oven. Done!
I still love the idea of baking brownies in a cupcake tin. (I made my favorite brownies the same way — so much neater than cutting brownie squares.) Liz's genius idea of putting mini Reese's peanut butter cups in the middle of cupcakes made from a brownie mix — or brownie cupcake surprise — is my new favorite instant dessert. Everyone enjoyed a sweet baked treat after dinner. And I felt like a rockstar, even though my cupcakes came from a box.
