What's the only thing better than a warm brownie? A warm brownie enveloped in a crunchy pretzel crust! Snag our resident baking babe MINI MARTHA's recipe below.
I have no clue what force compelled me to make these, but last week I was daydreaming and the thought popped into my head of mixing my two favorite deserts: pie and brownie sundaes. I thought about the idea of them for days, wondering how I would execute it. Finally, it came to me. While it might be weird to put a brownie in a pie crust, who could complain about a brownie in a pretzel crust?
I knew using regular brownies would make this tart a little dense and too sweet, so I used a spin-off of Ina Garten’s brownie pudding, a mousse-like concoction with a super gooey inside and a crispy top crust. Just remember to top this off with some vanilla ice cream and hot fudge (from this recipe) or some melted Nutella once you're all done!
Brownie Pudding Tarts with Pretzel Crust
Pretzel Crust:
2 cups of finely crushed pretzels
¼ cup of powdered sugar
1 cup of butter
Brownie pudding:
1 cup of butter
4 large eggs at room temperature
2 cups of sugar
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
½ cup of all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1. Start with the pretzel crust. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, crush the pretzels until there are about equal amounts of small pretzel pieces and pretzel powder. Continue to do this in batches until you have 2 cups of the crushed pretzels. Then pour this in a bowl and mix in with the powdered sugar. Melt the butter and pour it onto the pretzels and powdered sugar. Stir the mixture until it comes together. Using either large muffin tins or mini cake pans with removable bottoms, press the pretzel mixture up the sides of the pans until reaching the top and then press more of the pretzel dough into the bottom of the pan. Repeat with all the pans until the dough is gone. Place the pans in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until the tarts are slightly golden in color. (If the dough starts to collapse into the center while cooking just take the tarts out of the oven and using a jar press the crust back up the sides.)
2. Now onto the brownie pudding. Once the tarts are out of the oven, turn the heat down to 325 degrees. First melt the butter and set aside to cool. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the eggs and sugar. Beat the eggs and sugar on medium heat for about 5 to 10 minutes until the mixture is thick and light in color. While this is mixing sift together the cocoa powder and all purpose flour. Once the eggs are done whipping add in the vanilla extract and continue to mix until combined. With the mixer on low slowly add the cocoa and flour mixture. Mix until just combined and then slowly pour in the melted butter and mix until everything is incorporated.
3. Scoop spoonfuls of the brownie pudding into the pretzel tart crusts. Place the tarts in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until there is a hard crust on top and when the tarts are moved the filling does not jiggle. Remove the tarts from the oven and let them cool for about 10 minutes. Then remove the tarts from the pan, top with ice cream and hot fudge, and eat!
I have no clue what force compelled me to make these, but last week I was daydreaming and the thought popped into my head of mixing my two favorite deserts: pie and brownie sundaes. I thought about the idea of them for days, wondering how I would execute it. Finally, it came to me. While it might be weird to put a brownie in a pie crust, who could complain about a brownie in a pretzel crust?
I knew using regular brownies would make this tart a little dense and too sweet, so I used a spin-off of Ina Garten’s brownie pudding, a mousse-like concoction with a super gooey inside and a crispy top crust. Just remember to top this off with some vanilla ice cream and hot fudge (from this recipe) or some melted Nutella once you're all done!
Brownie Pudding Tarts with Pretzel Crust
Pretzel Crust:
2 cups of finely crushed pretzels
¼ cup of powdered sugar
1 cup of butter
Brownie pudding:
1 cup of butter
4 large eggs at room temperature
2 cups of sugar
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
½ cup of all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1. Start with the pretzel crust. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, crush the pretzels until there are about equal amounts of small pretzel pieces and pretzel powder. Continue to do this in batches until you have 2 cups of the crushed pretzels. Then pour this in a bowl and mix in with the powdered sugar. Melt the butter and pour it onto the pretzels and powdered sugar. Stir the mixture until it comes together. Using either large muffin tins or mini cake pans with removable bottoms, press the pretzel mixture up the sides of the pans until reaching the top and then press more of the pretzel dough into the bottom of the pan. Repeat with all the pans until the dough is gone. Place the pans in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until the tarts are slightly golden in color. (If the dough starts to collapse into the center while cooking just take the tarts out of the oven and using a jar press the crust back up the sides.)
2. Now onto the brownie pudding. Once the tarts are out of the oven, turn the heat down to 325 degrees. First melt the butter and set aside to cool. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the eggs and sugar. Beat the eggs and sugar on medium heat for about 5 to 10 minutes until the mixture is thick and light in color. While this is mixing sift together the cocoa powder and all purpose flour. Once the eggs are done whipping add in the vanilla extract and continue to mix until combined. With the mixer on low slowly add the cocoa and flour mixture. Mix until just combined and then slowly pour in the melted butter and mix until everything is incorporated.
3. Scoop spoonfuls of the brownie pudding into the pretzel tart crusts. Place the tarts in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until there is a hard crust on top and when the tarts are moved the filling does not jiggle. Remove the tarts from the oven and let them cool for about 10 minutes. Then remove the tarts from the pan, top with ice cream and hot fudge, and eat!