Pinecone Brownies

Yield: 10 servings 

• Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Bake Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours, 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Bake Believe Extra Dark Baking chips, divided
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ¾ cup almond flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 4 ounces of cream cheese, softened
• 2-3 cups shell-shaped chocolate cereal, sorted to remove broken pieces

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch x 9-inch baking pan.
2. Place 1 cup of Extra Dark chips, butter and maple syrup in a large bowl. Microwave on low power in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, just until melted.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla to the mixture and mix well until fully incorporated; set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, combine almond flour and baking powder. Pour into the chocolatey mixture and stir until combined and smooth. Pour brownie batter into the prepared baking pan, then spread to evenly distribute.
5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set. Remove from oven and set aside to cool for 20 minutes.
6. Crumble the brownies into crumbs. Add the cream cheese and stir to incorporate. Continue mixing until it becomes a pliable mixture. Mold about ¼ cup of mixture into an egg shape. Add cereal pieces into the side of the molded brownie, overlapping to create pinecone-like texture. Repeat to create 10 pinecones.  Refrigerate at least one hour or until ready to serve.