Double-Chocolate Brownie Bites

I have subscriptions to five food magazines.  I love to read them, but I get so distracted with all the great recipes that it sometimes drives me to a complete halt.  I mean I can’t make a decision about what to cook for the coming weeks.  I must have some kind of ADHD.  I do the same thing if I am shopping for clothes in a very large department store.  I can’t make a decision.  So I have resisted subscribing to more food magazines to decrease the confusion in my life.  A few months ago I received a copy of Martha Stewart’s Living magazine.  Knowing that I had not ordered it I checked the label and this is what I read, “Wanda The Food Blogger Lupo.”  It made me laugh.  My good friend Neil gave me a subscription to this beautiful magazine for me to enjoy.  Now everytime I receive it in the mail I smile!

In the July issue Martha’s Double-Chocolate Brownie Bites caught my eye so I made them as a dessert for my ALTA tennis team.  They loved them!  Leslie one of my tennis friends took some home and made mini ice cream sandwiches out of them.  What a great idea!  These brownie bites are a bit different because they use both dark brown sugar and honey as a sweetener.  I was not so crazy about the honey and in fact almost decided not to post them.  Leslie asked me about the recipe so I decided to make them again using a different type of honey.

Waldrop’s has the best honey in our area.  I didn’t use it in the first batch because GI Joe would then have had an empty jar.  I used another local variety that had a very strong flavor.  I went to Waldrop’s today and I should have had my camera.  I missed some great shots.  Allen was working in the bees.  He removed a fifty pound tray of honey.  I was awestruck!  I have never seen anything like it in my life.  Bees everywhere.  Allen said it was too hot to wear the protective gear.  One stung him on his lip and I’m sure it was because I distracted him with my 5,000 questions.  Because he had none left over from last year here is what he gave me for my recipe.  A pint of fresh honey with the wax.  Isn’t is gorgeous?

I drained it using a paper napkin.  I didn’t have any cheesecloth, but it worked well.

I had the perfect half cup of honey that made the best Double-Chocolate Brownie Bites anyone ever has had.

Here is the mixture ready to put in the refrigerator for about thirty minutes.

Roll a heaping teaspoon in granulated sugar to form a ball.  Then they are ready for the oven.

Bake at 325 for about 9 minutes.

Try them alone or use Leslie’s idea and make up some mini ice cream sandwiches.

Double-Chocolate Brownie Bites  from Martha

yield 6 dozen ( I made 78)

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup Dutch -process cocoa powder  ( I used Hershey’s)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 7 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (1 1/2 cups)  I used a food processor the chop the chocolate.
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Beat butter and brown sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy.
4. Add honey and beat until fluffy.
5. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture, and beat until combined.
6. Mix in chopped chocolate.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
7. Drop heaping teaspoons of dough into granulated sugar.
8. Roll to coat, shaping into balls.
9. Transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheets about 1 inch apart.
10. Bake until tops are cracking and cookies are just set, about 9 minutes.
11. Cool for a couple of minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
12. Store in airtight container for about 3 days.
13. Enjoy with vanilla ice cream or just alone.

Happy Cooking,

The Teacher Cooks