Here’s a sweet recipe from cookbook author Rosie Daykin. Inspired by the bars she sells at her Vancouver bakery, Rosie’s recipe uses a British candy called Smarties, similar to American M&M’s. You can use walnuts instead of candy for a healthier version, or use Halloween-colored M&M’s for a spooky treat.
Smartie Pants Bars
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
3 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
6 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup Smarties or M&M’s, or 2 cups walnut halves
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper, overlapping at two opposite edges to form “handles.”
2. In a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate chips, whisking to combine.
3. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and whisk together with eggs, sugar and vanilla. Add the flour and salt, and whisk to combine.
4. Pour mixture into the pan and sprinkle evenly with Smarties, M&M’s or walnuts.
5. Bake 25–30 minutes or until the brownie has puffed up and cracked. This is a very fudgy brownie; it will ultimately fall after being removed from the oven, creating a dense bar.
6. Remove from oven and allow the slab to cool completely. Run a small knife along the two edges of the pan without the parchment handles. Grasping the handles, carefully remove the slab from the pan, transfer to cutting board, and cut into approximately 2-by-2-inch bars.
Servings: 24. Serving size: 1 brownie. Per serving: 341 calories, 4.43 g protein, 19.33 g fat, 33.95 g carbohydrates, 3.27 g dietary fiber, 121 mg sodium, 23.62 g sugars, 67 mg cholesterol
Butter Baked Goods by Rosie Daykin (Knopf, 2015), excerpted with permission
