Marshmallow Crunch Brownies

Marshmallows aren't really my kind of thing, but when it's sandwiched between a brownie and apeanutty chocolate crakle....that's a completely different story!

You can probably tell from the recipes I post, that I have a bit of a sweet tooth and whilst most of the time I do turn to chocolate when I'm craving something sweet, I also do find that something with a biscuit or wafer is a little more satisfying, perhaps because having to bite through something rather than it melting away makes me feel like I'm actually eating something.

Which is why these Marshmallow Crunch Brownies are my kind of brownie variation- the textural contrast between the crunchy of the rice bubble layer, the spongy marhsmallow and chewy brownie means you have a bit of everything in one bite, and decadent enough to satisfy any craving in a small slice.

It's also a lot easier to make than it looks too- you'll only need two saucepans, or one if you're lazy like me, mix everything together, bake, layer up and you'll have a great treat that's also great for sharing!

Marshmallow Crunch Brownies Recipe
Adapted from Valerie's Kitchen, using brownie recipe from allrecipes

1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
200g marshmallows

2 cups dark chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon butter
1.5 cups crisp rice cereal (eg Rice Bubbles/Coco pops)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8-inch square pan.
2. In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. When the brownies are almost done, layer the marshmallows over the brownies and bake for another 2 minutes. Leave to cool for around an hour.
4. For the topping, combine the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a small saucepan. Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate chips have completely melted and mixture is well combined. Remove from the heat and quickly stir in crisp rice cereal. Immediately spoon the mixture over the top of the frosting layer and gently spread out evenly. Chill until set.
5. Allow to sit out for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Bars are delicious served cold or at room temperature.