#215 - Rocky Road Brownies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup butter
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 cup flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Brownie Topping: 1/2 cup chopped peanuts, 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate bits, 1 cup miniature marshmallows, 1/4 cup chocolate fudge ice cream topping (warmed)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a pan that you would normally use to make brownies. Melt butter and unsweetened chocolate over low heat in a saucepan, stirring frequently. Remove from stovetop and allow to cool. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt--stir with a spoon and set aside. In a mixer, beat eggs until light. Add sugar 2 TBSP at a time until you have added the 1 1/2 cups sugar, beating until mixture is thick. Add vanilla and gradually add chocolate/butter mixture. Remove bowl from mixer and stir in flour mixture with a spoon, just until it's blended. Spread batter evenly in greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the edges slightly pull away from the sides of the pan. Don't overbake. Remove from oven. Sprinkle peanuts, chocolate bits and marshmallows over the top evenly while it's warm. Drizzle with the warm chocolate fudge topping and return to oven--bake 8-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely and cut into squares.