Coffee Toffee Fudge Brownies

Remember that Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty™ at Wendy's®? I thought those were absolutely delicious. Unfortunately, they don't make them anymore. BUT, when Duncan Hines® was kind enough to send me free samples of their new Frosting Creations™ product, one of the flavors they gave me happened to be "mocha." You know where this is going, right?

My first thought was to make a "coffee toffee" version of yummy, fudgy brownies using the mocha frosting. And, oh boy, I was not disappointed. Seriously, I was amazed at how delicious these brownies were. Plus, they're so easy to make!

Here's what you'll need:

1 box Duncan Hines® Chewy Fudge Brownie mix (use the recipe for "fudgy" brownies)
2 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 can Duncan Hines® Frosting Creations™ Frosting Starter
1 packet Duncan Hines® Frosting Creations™ Mocha Flavor Mix
1 (12 oz.) Classic Bag of miniature Heath® Milk Chocolate English Toffee Bars

First thing's first -- and I don't mean preheating the oven this time -- is a little prep work. Get out a nice, sharp knife and a cutting board, unwrap your mini Heath® bars, and get to chopping. I did a few at a time and put the candy pieces in a bowl as I went along. I personally cut one bar lengthwise once, then each half into three to four small chunks. You can make the candy bits as chunky or as fine as you like. You might be wondering if there's an easier way -- well, there is. You can actually buy an 8 oz. bag of Heath® bits, found in the baking aisle with the chocolate chips. I chose the 12 oz. bag of miniature bars because overall it was cheaper per ounce, and I don't mind a little extra work. (At the store I went to, the 12 oz. bag of bars was only about 10 cents more than the 8 oz. bag of candy bits. Dude, for 10 cents more you get 50% more product!)

Next, preheat the oven to 350°F, prepare your 13"x9" baking pan with foil and/or cooking spray, and get to work on the brownie batter. Combine the brownie mix, eggs, water, and oil in a mixing bowl and mix as per the directions on the box. I used my trusty KitchenAid® mixer, but apparently Duncan Hines® recommends hand-mixing brownies... Oh well, it turned out fine anyway! Once the batter is made, add about half of the Heath® bits and fold them in.

Pour the batter in the pan and bake as per box directions (27-30 minutes).

Now we play the waiting game... Once the brownies are done, you must must MUST be patient and let them cool completely. Otherwise, when you frost them, you'll end up with a gooey mess (yes, icing melts). When the brownies are completely cool, mix the flavor packet into the can of frosting starter as per directions and slather it on in a nice, thick, even layer over your brownies.

Last but not least, sprinkle the other half of the candy bits on top, and voila! You have Coffee Toffee Fudge Brownies.

Trust me, you'll want a nice, big hunk of this. I think these are now my absolute favorite brownies, and I want to make them again really soon. If you try this recipe (which you definitely should), I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Your Cupcake,

~Jesia <3