Brownie Muffins

We love brownies!  The problem we have is with our favorite recipe it's suppose to go into a 13 X 9 pan.  Now that may not sound like a problem, but you can only get so many brownies out of that size pan.  I came up with a way I could get more brownies that would also be less messy and easy to handle.  I came up with Muffin Brownies, a.k.a. Brownies baked in muffin pans!

Start by melting 4 rounded Tablespoons of cocoa and 2/3 cup of shortening in a saucepan over low heat. 

While you are waiting on this to melt...

...spray your muffin pan with cooking spray.  I used a 12 muffin and a 6 muffin pan.

Once the shortening and cocoa melt, remove it from the heat...

...mix in 2 cups of sugar, 4 large eggs, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. 

Then mix in 1 1/4 cups of flour, 1 teaspon of baking powder, and 1 teaspoon of salt.  If you like nuts, you can then add 1 cup of your choice of nuts.

Then fill muffin cups about 1/2 full...

...then put in 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. 

This is what they will look like once out of the oven.

I like to make a Brownie Muffin La Mode...

...nothing better than warm Brownies and cold ice cream!!  These are such a big hit at our house!

Brownie Muffins

4 rounded T cocoa

2/3 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 t vanilla

1 1/4 cup flour

1 t baking powder

1 t salt

1 cup nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degree.  Grease baking pan.  Melt cocoa and shortening together in large saucepan over low heat.  Remove from heat.  Mix in sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Pour into muffin pans, filling cups at least by 1/2.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  When done let cool in muffin pan and remove.