Burrowing Bunny Brownies – Recipe!

Peeps are one of those Easter candies that you just can’t resist during the season.  These sugar coated marshmallows are crazy-colored and shaped into bunnies, birds and rabbits and happen to be one of my favorite things in an Easter basket.  They are made to be overly sweet and when you bite into one, the intense sugar coating leads to a fluffy soft center — that’s what’s so amusing about them.  So, this year I thought I would make a rich chocolate brownie recipe that included Peeps for some Easter fun.

Brownies are always popular, but a brownie with a Peep and graham cracker crumbs layered on top would give them a s’more like taste.  I wasn’t quite sure how a peep would hold up in the oven, so I placed them on top of the brownies with only a few minutes of baking time left.  The results…. Peeps eyes and nose baked into the body and the bunnies looked as if they were face-down in the brownies with a burrowing effect.  I added a few more graham cracker crumbs around the bunnies to look like loose dirt in a garden — reminiscent of Mr. McGregor’s Garden (Peter Rabbit).  These brownies are as easy to make as a traditional recipe, but with some holiday appeal.

Ingredients

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or shaved chocolate

1 cup butter

2 cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup all purpose flour

1 sleeve graham crackers, about 12 crackers – pulverized

1 teaspoon salt

12 bunny Peeps

1/3 cup white chocolate chips, divided

(Makes 12 Brownies)

To Prepare:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and line with parchment a 13 x 9 inch pan.  Make sure parchment hangs over edges of pan on two sides for easy lifting.
2. In a large microwave safe bowl, add semisweet chocolate and butter.  Microwave on high for 1 minute, remove and stir.  Microwave again for 1 minute, stir until completely melted.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together sugar, eggs and vanilla until creamy.  Add cooled chocolate mixture and stir until combined.  Add flour, 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs and salt, stir until combined.
4. Spoon batter into prepared pan and bake for 25-28 minutes.  Remove from oven and place Peeps on top – space them into 12 portions.  Sprinkle remaining graham cracker crumbs around Peeps.  Bake in oven for 3-5 minutes or until Peeps are slightly puffed.  Remove and let cool in pan for 1 hour.
5. In a small bowl melt all, but 12 white chocolate chips for 30 seconds, stir.   Heat again for 15 seconds and stir until smooth.  Spoon small dot on bunnies bottom’s and place one white chocolate chip on top for tail.  Place in refrigerator for 1 hour before slicing into squares.  Enjoy!