sweetened condensed milk – Brownie Mischief

Cyclops S’mores Bites

Posted on October 20, 2024February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Do you ever feel like someone is watching you? These spooky Cyclops S’mores Bites can’t help but stare at you. They’re a fun, easy-to-make Halloween treat. Mini graham cracker crusts are filled with a sweet, silky chocolate filling and topped with monster eyeball marshmallows.

Cyclops S'mores Bites

Silky chocolate filling in a graham cracker crust, topped with spooky monster eyeball marshmallows

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 24 bite size mini tarts

Ingredients

1 ¼ cups (124g) graham cracker crumbs (about 8 rectangular sheets or 16 squares)
2 tablespoons (25g) packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon (7g) all purpose flour
6 tablespoons (85g) melted (salted) butter
1 cup (237ml) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup (170g) semisweet chocolate chips
24 monster eyeball marshmallows

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a 24-serving muffin pan** with mini cupcake liners.***
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and flour until well combined. Stir in the melted butter until the crumbs are evenly coated and the mixture looks like wet sand.
Evenly distribute the crumb mixture into the muffin cups. Press the crumbs firmly into the bottoms and up the sides of the muffin cups, using a pastry tamper, the flat bottom of a small shot glass or a 1/8 cup measuring cup. Bake for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In a medium-size microwavable bowl, heat the sweetened condensed milk and the chocolate chips together in the microwave for 20 second burst, stirring in between each burst, until melted and smooth. (Alternately, you can melt the mixture in a medium-size saucepan over low heat.)
Working quickly, fill the graham cracker crusts almost to the top with the melted chocolate mixture using a small scoop or a piping bag. Carefully remove the chocolate-filled crusts from the muffin pan and top each one with a monster eyeball marshmallow. Enjoy as is or place a few at a time on a microwave safe plate and heat them in the microwave for 7-10 seconds for a gooey eyeball treat.

Notes

*Marshmallow eyeballs are sold at Walmart and World Market.

**To find the muffin pan I used, click here.

***To find mini muffin liners, click here.

Keyword Halloween, s'mores bites, tarts

Raspberry Coconut Magic Bars

Posted on December 14, 2023February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Magic Bars, also known as 7-layer bars, are a vintage classic. My neighbor shared them with us every Christmas when I was a child. The bars typically have a graham cracker crust topped with coconut, chocolate chips, sometimes butterscotch chips, and nuts. The ingredients meld together in the oven with gooey, sweetened condensed milk. The recipe I’m sharing here is my raspberry holiday version. The bars come together quickly and always turn out delicious! The recipe is easy and versatile. You can switch up the white chocolate chips for dark chocolate chips if you like.

Raspberry Coconut Magic Bars

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 24 bars

Ingredients

2 cups (185g) graham cracker crumbs about 25 squares
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (142g) salted butter, melted
3 cups (240g) shredded sweetened coconut
1 14 oz (414ml) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup (170g) white chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips
¾ cup (215g) raspberry jam I used seedless
¾ cup (90g) sliced almonds or blanched almonds, chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs and butter together until well combined. Press the crumb mixture evenly into the baking pan.
Sprinkle the coconut evenly over the graham cracker base. Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the coconut. Top with dollops of jam. Sprinkle with white chocolate chips, followed by almonds.
Bake until the top and edges are light golden brown and the jam begins to bubble, about 25-28 minutes. Let cool completely, then cut into squares.

Keyword bars, raspberry white chocolate

Fudge Filled Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Posted on November 15, 2022February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are traditional holiday cookies, probably because of the pretty, crackly powdered sugar covered exterior that reminds us of snow. They always seem to show up on cookie trays at Christmas time and I’ve loved them since I was a child. I decided to take my old favorites to another level by adding a surprise inside! Two years ago, I made some cookies with fudge filling that my family and friends raved over. They’re my Marshmallow Mudslide Cookies. To view the recipe, click here. I used the same concept for these Chocolate Crinkle Cookies. I filled them with a simple, smooth fudge filling that stays soft at room temperature. The results were absolutely delicious!

Fudge Filled Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Chocolate crinkle cookies with a smooth fudge filling that stays soft at room temperature

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 15 cookies

Ingredients

Fudge Filling

¾ cup (4 1/2 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup (6 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

1 ⅓ cups (6 ounces) all purpose flour, sifted
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
⅓ cup (2 5/8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
2 ½ cups (9 5/8 ounces) powdered sugar, sifted and divided
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature

Instructions

Fudge Filling

In a double boiler or in the microwave*, melt chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk together until smooth. Set aside to cool while preparing cookie dough.
Cover and refrigerate for two hours. Roll filling into 1-inch balls.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Gradually beat in 2 cups (7 3/4 ounces) of powdered sugar until well combined. Set aside remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a shallow dish.
Beat in eggs and vanilla in three separate additions, until smooth. Stop to scrape bowl as needed.
Beat in melted chocolate until combined. Beat in flour mixture just until combined.
Cover and refrigerate dough for 2 hours. Don't skip this step.
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll dough into 15 2-inch balls, 1 1/4 ounce each. Flatten each ball into a 3-inch disk. Place a fudge ball in the center of each disk and wrap dough around it, pinching edges together to seal. Roll dough balls generously in remaining powdered sugar.
Place dough balls three inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookies puff up and tops are set, about 11-13 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

Notes

*To melt fudge filling in microwave, heat for 30 seconds. Stir, then microwave for 10 second intervals, stirring until melted.

MAKE AHEAD INSTRUCTIONS: To make cookie dough one day ahead, prepare cookie dough. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate in a covered container up to 24 hours. To make fudge filling one day ahead, prepare filling and chill for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Roll filling into 1-inch balls and place on a parchment lined tray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Keyword chocolate, cookies

Marshmallow Mudslide Cookies

Posted on February 23, 2021February 16, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Have you ever had mudslide cake? It’s a deliciously messy chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and marshmallows, also known as Mississippi mud cake. I saw one covered in a layer of marshmallow fluff and it made its way into my dreams. I woke up with the inspiration to make a cookie version of the gooey mudslide cake.

I saw a few mudslide cookie recipes out there that used standard size marshmallows and chocolate chips mixed into the cookie dough. If you’ve ever baked with marshmallows, you know that they nearly disappear during the baking process. Chocolate chips melt beautifully into little pools of chocolate, but then harden once cooled to room temperature. I happily volunteered to address these challenges! After some trial and error, I created a satisfying cookie with plenty of gooey marshmallow goodness and a rich fudge filling that stays soft at room temperature. Dreams do come true!

Marshmallow Mudslide Cookies

by Mari Vasseur

Chocolate fudge-filled cookies topped with toasted marshmallows

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 22 cookies

Ingredients

Fudge filling

1 ⅓ cup (227g) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup (310g) sweetened condensed milk
⅔ cup (74g) chopped toasted pecans or walnuts optional

Cookies

2 ¼ cups (287g) all purpose flour, sifted
½ cup (45g) unsweetened Dutch Process cocoa powder, sifted preferably dark
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
22-24 S'mores marshmallows or jumbo marshmallows* I used Kraft Jet-Puffed S'moreMallows

Instructions

Fudge filling

Melt the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk together in a double boiler or in the microwave in a medium-sized microwave safe bowl.** Stir gently until smooth.
Stir in the chopped nuts if using. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350º (180ºC). Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended.
In a large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed, until pale and fluffy. Mix in the eggs and the vanilla in 3 separate additions, making sure each addition is incorporated before adding the next. On low speed, mix in the flour mixture in 2 additions, just until combined.
Roll the fudge filling into 1-tablespoon-sized balls. Roll the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon-sized balls then flatten them into disks. Place a ball of fudge filling in the middle of each disk. Wrap the cookie dough around the ball of filling, sealing it completely.
Place the cookies about 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake until the tops of the cookies are set, about 9-11 minutes. Remove from oven.
Place a marshmallow on top of each cookie. Use a kitchen torch to toast the marshmallows or toast them in the broiler: Turn on the broiler. Transfer the cookies to an aluminum foil-lined cookie sheet. Broil the cookies until the marshmallows are toasted. This takes about 1 minute. WARNING: Use extreme caution and watch the cookies carefully when broiling. They can go from done to burnt in the blink of an eye!

Notes

*I used Kraft Jet-Puffed S'moreMallows, but if you're unable to find them, use jumbo marshmallows. Cut them in half with kitchen shears. Place them on the cookies cut side down.

**To melt the fudge filling in microwave, heat for 20 seconds. Stir, then microwave for 10 second bursts, stirring until melted and smooth.

Keyword chocolate, cookies

Mini Chocolate Hand Pies for Pi Day

Posted on March 14, 2017February 16, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Pi Day is a day to celebrate mathematics, or more specifically, the ratio of a circle’s circumference to it’s diameter. While I do appreciate math for it’s precision, I also feel a bit annoyed at math for making my brain hurt! Ok, I’m sorry math. I forgive you. I do need you! How would I bake without you? So today I will celebrate math (and also my love for puns) with these tender, fudgy mini hand pies!

Since pi is all about circles, I used a 2 3/4-inch circle cutter to make round pies, but you can cut them into any shape you like. You could cut larger circles, fold them in half and call them empanadas. Rectangles are very popular with Pop Tart fans and you don’t need a special cutter, but a ruler would be helpful. I think squares would be cute, too! Whatever your shape of choice, math is always there to help!

I used a stencil to add some powdered sugar polka dots to my mini pies. I may have gone a little overboard with my circles, but who’s going to stop me? I think they look pretty cute, but If you don’t have a stencil, a sprinkle or two of powdered sugar will do just fine! Alternately, you could drizzle them with some melted white chocolate. I had a bit of white chocolate on hand, so I can confidently say, that version is yummy too!

Mini Chocolate Hand Pies

by Mari Vasseur

Mini chocolate pies with fudgy filling and a tender chocolate crust.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 25

Total Time 2 10

Course Dessert

Servings 10

Ingredients

Crust

1 ⅛ cup (142g) all purpose flour, sifted plus more for your work surface
3 tablespoons (17g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon (12g) granulated sugar
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
⅛ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup (113g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
3 ounces (85g) cold cream cheese, cubed
3 tablespoons (45ml) cold water, divided
½ of 1 whisked egg

Filling

½ cup (85g) bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips *see notes
⅓ cup (107ml) sweetened condensed milk

Finishing Touches

2 tablespoons (15g) powdered sugar optional
OR 2 tablespoons (22g) melted white chocolate optional

Instructions

Crust

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt and baking powder until well blended.
Use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to work the butter and cream cheese into the flour mixture until it resembles pea-sized crumbs.
Add 2 tablespoons (30ml) of the cold water to the mixture. Stir gently just until the dough comes together.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Fold the dough over onto itself a couple of times. Form the dough into a disk. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.

Filling

In a small microwavable bowl, melt the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk together in the microwave. Heat for 10-15 second bursts, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Assembly

Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and remaining 1 tablespoon (15ml) water.
On lightly floured surface, roll the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out 20 rounds with a 2 3/4-inch circle cutter (or cut into desired shapes of your choice).
Place 10 dough rounds about 1 inch apart onto the prepared baking sheet. Top each with 1 tablespoon of filling.
With a small pastry brush or your finger, brush the egg mixture around the perimeter of each of the filled dough circles.
Top each with the 10 remaining dough circles. Crimp the edges together with a fork. Brush the pies with the remaining egg mixture.
Bake until the crust is crisp and browned, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack. Sprinkle the cooled pies with powdered sugar or drizzle with melted white chocolate.

Notes

*The chocolate chips you use depends on personal preference. Bittersweet chocolate chips give a more intense chocolate flavor, while semi-sweet chocolate chips yield a slightly sweeter finished product.

To find my favorite circle cutters click here. To find the polka-dot stencil click here.