Candy-Coated Peanut Butter Brownie Bites

 

I realized something this past week.

I realized that I'm not really an 'LOL' kind of gal. I'm more of the 'Haha' sort. I don't mind the use of LOL, but sometimes it's used in the weirdest ways and not necessarily the way it was intended to be.

I got a text the other day from a friend of mine and it read, "Are you going to the park later? LOL!"

I was confused. LOL does means 'Laugh out Loud', right? 

Because.....I'm......not. 

Then I was all like, 'Wait. Did I miss something? Is this text an inside joke meant for someone else? Perhaps it's a part 1 of 2 texts?' (I'm still dealing with an archaic phone folks.)

I didn't want to text back and ask what she was on about in case it wasn't meant for me. The last thing I wanted to do was put her in an awkward obligatory situation of telling me something that she perhaps didn't want to share. I also didn't want to draw attention to myself in case I was missing something and had forgotten a funny incident that happened. I felt like I had so many unanswered questions. My whole day was off-kilter from that point. Like axis off-kilter. 

You see, if she had put something like, "Are you going to the park later? I'm hoping to get my arse on the swing and work off the last 3 cupcakes I just ate. LOL!", my day would have gone swimmingly. My hair would have stayed frizz-free, my chocolate souffle would have puffed up like a blowfish, and the world would have been sunshine and rainbows. 

Instead it was filled with shame and confusion. And lackluster hair.  

I get that some people use such terms as a way to soften up sentences; to make something seem less abrasive, but what was so bad about asking if I was going to the park later that it needed to be followed up by an LOL? 

And yes. I realize that I probably read WAY MORE into that text than needed to be. 

Welcome to my brain. Watch your step.  

Anyway, these brownie bites are amazing. Super cute. Super yums. SUPER easy. 

And definitely no laughing matter. 

CANDY-COATED PEANUT BUTTER BROWNIE BITES

1 box brownie mix, plus ingredients needed to make brownies

½ cup peanut butter*

1 package candy coating, such as Candi-Quik**

Colorful sprinkles

*I used a natural peanut butter, but I don't recommend it. The taste is awesome, but for some reason, it caused the peanut butter to become a bit crumbly after it had been baked and made dipping a bit trickier.

**WHERE HAS THIS STUFF BEEN ALL MY LIFE?

Prepare brownies according to box. Line baking dish with parchment paper. Once brownies are prepared, pour into baking dish. Drizzle peanut butter over top and create a swirl patterns. Bake for recommended time.

Once brownies are cooled, take a small heart shaped cookie cutter and cut out. I used a 9x9 inch baking dish and I got 20 hearts.

Transfer hearts to a cookie sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper and freeze for about 20-30 minutes. 

Prepare candy coating as indicated on package. Seriously, I LOVE this stuff. Like love. 

 

Completely dip brownies into coating. Using a fork is very helpful. 

Once dipped, return to cookie sheet. Coating solidifies fast, so it's important to add sprinkles almost immediately.

Place tray in the refrigerator for several minutes to ensure coating has completely set. After that, there is no refrigeration needed. 

Enjoy.