Gooey Brownie Cups

Gooey Brownie Cups

Sometimes, a new dessert is created as a result of an error made with a totally different recipe. Gooey Brownie Cups are the perfect example of this.

I was working on my Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles. I made the first batch of the truffles and wondered what would happen if I melted the butter with the brown sugar and sugar, rather than beat it in the mixing bowl. Once the ingredients melted, I realized that the truffles would be too oily if I melted them. So, I was left staring at a bowl of perfectly usable melted butter and sugar.

Being the curious baker that I am, I decided to add the remaining truffle ingredients, but this time adding eggs as well. Because the mixture was warm, I quickly realized that the chocolate chips would melt once I stirred them into the bowl. Fine with me.

I baked these in a 12-cup muffin pan and really loved the results. Continuing with my inquisitiveness, I made another batch, but baked this batch in a 48-cup mini muffin pan and adjusted the timing accordingly. I did not love these as much.

Fortunately for me, I was going to a friend’s house for dinner that night. I decided to bring over the two batches (some big, some mini) and ask their opinions. Hands down, everyone loved the 12-cup muffin pan brownies, which was a good thing since they were my favorites right from the start.

Next up was the challenge of selecting a name. I emailed two of my creative friends who had tried the brownies and, as expected, they came up with a name I love. Gooey Brownie Cups suits this dessert perfectly, as the center is so deliciously gooey that it is hard to stop at just one.

If there is a lesson to be learned from this blog post, it is this: when you think you have messed up a recipe, simply change the angle from which you are looking at it and try something else. You, too, could end up with a favorite dessert from the ‘mistake’ you made.