Toffee-Topped Fudge Brownie Tarts

Pictures are a bit craptastic, I know - sorry. I took them at 7am in the dusky light of my kitchen, while trying to desperately pack up treats and head out for Thanksgiving. Um, yeah, and this recipe is a few weeks old too. We need to get past that...

Anyhoo: every Thanksgiving I try to bring a treat or two. This year I tackled Luella's Date Pudding (which I won't post, sorry: Hub's relatives might come hunt me down for posting a beloved family recipe). I wanted to bring something else, although the pies were covered. Then I remembered I had bought a cookie magazine a few weeks ago (while waiting in line at the grocery store), and thought I might as well put it to good use. I flipped through and found a recipe with pretty photos that was fairly simple, and than away I went.

These little toffee bites seemed to go over pretty well - Hub's uncle even hid a few away in his cabinet for later. Proof positive that they were Pretty Darn Good. Nice and fudgey, for sure, with a ganache frosting and dotted with toffee. Mmm. While nowhere near as good as Date Pudding or Hub's aunt's cherry pie, it's still certainly a great recipe for those non-Thanksgiving days in your life :)

Toffee-Topped Fudge Brownie Tarts

(from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine: Christmas Cookies, 2008)

Ingredients:

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1/3 c. butter

1 c. granulated sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. whipping cream

1/2 c. bittersweet chocolate (chopped)

English toffee, chopped (I just used that pre-chopped Heath Bar topping stuff)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease twenty-four mini muffin cups and set aside.

In a medium heavy saucepan, combine unsweetened chocolate and butter. Cook and stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat lightly with a wooden spoon just until combined. Stir in flour. Spoon a generous 1 tablespoon of the batter in each prepared muffin cup.

Bake in a preheated oven for 12 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove brownies from muffin cups and place on wire rack; let cool.

For glaze: In a small saucepan, heat whipping cream over low heat just until it simmers; remove from heat. Add chocolate pieces, stirring until melted. Place chopping toffee in a shallow dish. Dip top of each brownie into glaze, then sprinkle with toffee bits. Return to wire rack and allow glaze to set. Makes 24 tarts.

To store: Place brownies in a single layer in an airtight container; cover. Store in a refrigerator for up to 3 days.