Mississipi Mud Brownies - Something New

The discovery of a new dish does more for the happiness of mankind than the discovery of a star.

Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

While I am not sure that the discovery of a new dish is quite this thrilling it is definately a welcome friend! I don't know about you but coming up with variety in my cooking is a constant headache for me. I find myself coming back to the "same ole same ole". Granted there is nothing wrong with "tried and true" but my palate gets easily bored. I am creating this blog in the hopes that family and friends will rescue my poor bored palate and post some of their very own "tried and trues". Quite simply it is an online recipe exchange. So to get everyone excited (you are all excited right?!!!) I am posting a couple of recipes that I recently discovered that are a hit in my home.

Mississippi Mud Brownies

(I spun my own twist on a recipe I found to create these. Credit for basic brownie recipe goes to Jennifer Appel of Buttercup Bake Shop)

3/4 cup all-pupose flour

3/4 cup baking cocoa

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans

3/4 cup white morsels

1/2 cup semi-sweet morsels

1/2 cup milk chocolate morsels

1/4 cup toffee chips

1/4 cup extra-dark morsels

16 - 18 large marshmellows, divided - 12 for top and 4-6 cut into fourths for center layer.

PREHEAT oven to 350ºF. Grease 8-inch-square baking pan.

COMBINE flour, cocoa and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granualted sugar and brown sugar in large bowl unitl creamy. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Once batter is mixed well reserve 3/4 cup of batter for later. Spread the remaining batter into prepared baking dish. Place quartered marshmellows an push slightly into batter. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the chopped pecans, the toffee chips, extra-dark morsels, and 1/2 cup of the white morsels over marshmellows and batter. Beat remaining egg and reserved batter in same large bowl until light in color. Spread evenly over the previous layer **note: this is a thin layer that just barely should cover the previous layer. Don't be concerned if it doesn't spread completely over all the previous layer. BAKE 26-28 min. ***Note you don't want it to be completely done because you have to cook it another 5 min once you complete the top layer. REMOVE from oven and sprinkle with milk chocolate morsels let stand for 5 mins. then spread melted morsels over top. Place the remaining 12 marshmellows whole across the top and now sprinkle with remaining morsels and nuts. BAKE for another 5-7 min depending on how you like your marshmellows. I like mine toasted so I left them in 7 minutes. REMOVE from oven and allow to cool - best served barely warm. Using the marshmellows as a guide cut brownies into squares and serve. These were an ooey gooey yummy treat!!! **Note all the morsel of course harden once completely cooled so you can either warm for 10 seconds in microwave or enjoy the now crumbly delicious mess :)