School Colors Round Brownies were inspired by my daughter's first day of school. Wow, time sure flies. I can't believe Fuzz is in high school already. She was about 5 when I started this blog, which seems incredible. Things have changed a lot since then, but I'm still obsessed with brownies and felt like making some round brownies with with blue & orange M&Ms.
Cookie Cutter Brownies Mean Brownie Scraps!
I made round brownies by baking in a square pan and using a 3 inch cutter to punch out rounds. Obviously, there were lots of scraps! Scraps were a bonus in this case because I got to eat them, but if you'd like to bake the brownies directly in rounds, you can buy Kitchen Supply Crumbcake Paper Molds, Set of 25
School Cutters Brownies aka Alice Medrich's Cocoa Brownies
Update: I haven't made round brownies in a while, but I use this recipe a lot when I want really fudgy 8 inch pan brownies. The recipe is adapted from Alice Medrich's Cocoa Brownies.
Recipe
School Colors Brownies
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (140 grams), softened
- 1 ¼ cups sugar (245 grams)
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder natural or Dutch-process
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cold large eggs
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (70 grams)
- Mini M&Ms
- 1 good quality dark chocolate bar chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325. Line an 8 inch square metal baking pan with foil and grease the bottom only.
- Combine the softened butter, sugar, cocoa and salt in a metal mixing bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Stir until butter melts and mixture is fairly smooth and the sugar has partially dissolved -- mixture will still be slightly grainy. Remove from heat and let it cool to warm.
- Stir in the vanilla, then add the eggs one at a time and stir after each egg is added.
- Add the flour and stir until it disappears, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with a heavy duty scraper.
- Spread mixture evenly in the pan and bake at 325 for about 25 minutes or until brownies appear set. Let cool completely, then chill thoroughly.
- Time for the fun part! Lift the brownies from the pan and cut into shapes using metal cookie cutters or whatever type cutter you have.
- Melt chocolate in microwave using 50% power and stirring often until it is melted and smooth. Spread a very thin layer of chocolate on top of each brownie, then pile on some M&Ms. Drizzle more chocolate over M&Ms. Let the brownies sit until chocolate sets. Do not chill after adding M&Ms as they will lose their luster.
Katrina says
Those look awesome! What a fun idea. Yes, crazy these kids that think it's okay to just grow up--with a senior in the house and an 8th grader who thinks he's an adult (as well as a couple youngers), basically, I'm old. 😉
Beth says
I'll let you know how it goes. I also gave a large cupcake pan I might try out.
Anna says
Hi Beth,
I think cupcake liners would be great! Personally, I plan on ordering some of those shallow crumb cake liners so I can make them wide and shallow, but cupcake size brownies would be good, too. You'll just have to adjust the bake time. My guess is is 18 to 20 minutes will work.
Beth says
I love this idea. Especially since schools are always asking for bake sale donations!
Do you think it would work to pour them batter into a lined cupcake pan?
Brenda says
I started reading your blog after you won the Pillsbury BakeOff. I've wondered if my daughter was the same age. She just started 9th grade as well. I hope Fuzz has a great high school experience!
Anna says
Nope, 9th grade. The real deal. It's scary to think in 4 years she'll be heading off to college.
Cheryl says
Surely you mean 8th grade????? It seems she was just barely able to see over the counter yesterday!