Over The Top Frosted & Stuffed Brownie Bites

I am preparing for an upcoming jewelry fashion show (which will be my training show & my new jeweler showcase - I'm SO excited) at my home next Monday night and have been planning my dessert offerings. I knew I wanted to offer a Cherry Almond Coffee Cake (delicious, red & dainty for Valentine's Day), but I have also been considering some type of over-the-top brownie bite or tart (keeping with chocolate for the Valentine's theme). I found this recipe & thought it sounded scrumptious so I gave it a trial run. This recipe is absolutely fabulous! As if brownie bites aren't decadent enough, these are stuffed with semi-sweet chocolate chips! The semi-sweet chocolate chips perform a dual purpose as a filling and frosting! How fantastic is that?!! This is definitely the go-to brownie dessert for those killer chocolate cravings. I am a very happy and satisfied chocolate lover!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 (about) cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line mini-muffin tins with papers. Combine cocoa and oil in large bowl until smooth. Mix in sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing until combined. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to cocoa mixture, stirring to combine. Fold in 1 cup chocolate chips, reserving remaining 2/3 cup for decoration. Fill each muffin paper with about 1 rounded tablespoon of batter. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or just until set and small cracks appear on surface. Remove from oven. Immediately place about 6 semi-sweet chocolate chips on center of each hot brownie bite. Let rest 2 to 3 minutes to soften, then swirl melted chips with the back of a spoon to frost brownie bites. Yield: About 4 dozen brownie bites.

NOTE: I do not have mini-muffin tins but I do have a 24-count mini tart pan. I lightly greased my tart pan and it worked fine, just be sure not to fill each cup to the top or you will wind up with big ol' muffin tops, which are quite tasty but not too pretty.