Brownie Recipe, Week-end Ideas

I thought I would post a new recipe before the week-end.
If you live in the Salt Lake area, I have found some good sales this week. Macey's grocery store has their Western Family chili for $.68 a can. I have not seen it this low in awhile. I buy the Turkey Chili which is included in this sale. One way I use canned chili is for a super easy (but not cheap) Sunday dinner.
On Saturday I call the closest SCONECUTTER restaurant (I am sad. The one by my house has closed.) and order 17 Navajo Taco Scones. We pick them up on Saturday night and re-heat in the microwave on Sunday. The total is about $2o.oo, but it is worth it to have an easy Sunday dinner for a crowd. (I have a GREAT scone recipe. Let me know if you are want the recipe. They are pan fried.) I just heat up cans of chili and serve with all the usual toppings.
Target (with grocery stores) has their chuck roasts on sale for $1.99 a lb. I like their roasts and chuck is my favourite.
Back to Macey's. Their cake mixes are also on sale for (until next Tuesday) for $.68, so I thought I would try a few new recipes, and include some tried and true, that use a cake mix.

I made these for cub scout den meeting yesterday. My family loved them, except for the hard caramel in the centre. I forgot to melt them. (In my defense I made/tried 5 new recipes yesterday. Plus, as I went to get something out of the pantry, I decided to clean it. I took everything out...and then decided to paint it this week-end. Plus, I had scouts. So everything is still out. (I wonder if I am subconsciously stressed about the wedding.)
A blogging note- Some days I am very pleased with what I have gotten done. Some days I get nothing accomplished except for playing with/watching grandsons, carpools (up to 75 miles a day) and the very basics. I try not to feel bad about what I do not get done. And I give myself (and anyone else who earns them) points for the extras I do. The points don't really do anything-but we like them none the less. My point? If you are a busy mom, wife, aunt, worker, sister, daughter, neighbor or friend-cut yourself some slack. The results of our labours are not always seen at the end of the day. Or week. Or year. (I saw a woman answer her door yesterday with a baby on her hip. I had 6 children in 8 years. I spent many years doing the mundane, with a baby on my hip, and I wish I had given myself more credit-and less stress about what was not done.) I hope you younger, newer moms get to read stories and play Little People (Fisher Price) instead of having the house perfect. And it does come back to you. My kidults often run errands for me, pick things up while they are out, AND appreciate me more.
Now, the recipe.

I saw this on Studio 5 t.v. show in Oct. It is not listed there, now. In order to find the contributor, I BLINGOed the recipe title, which led me back to Studio 5, which led me to stephanieskitchen.com. (I often have do genealogy to find a source :)

Pretzel Chocolate Caramel Brownie Cups (made in a cupcake pan)
recipe from stephanieskitchen via studio 5

1 German chocolate cake mix (did you remember that was my theme?)
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated) (we will use the rest later-see notes)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 egg

1 cup crushed pretzels
1/4 cup melted butter
2 table. brown sugar

5-8 oz. (or 1/2 package) paper removed -WE WILL MELT THESE;0 (See note)
1 cup chocolate chips (recipe says milk choc. I used dark. For Doug.)

Prepare cupcake pan by spraying. (I don't think it will work as well with cupcake papers.)

Mix crushed pretzels, melted butter and brown sugar. Set aside.

Stir vigorously the cake mix, sweetened condensed milk, egg and melted butter. This is a thick batter. Fill cupcake cups 2/3 full. (May need to lightly press down.)

Top each cup with about 1 table. pretzel crumb mix. Lightly press down.

Bake for 10 minutes (I did 12 mins.) @ 350* or until edges are set.

IMMEDIATELY after removing pour about 1-2 teaspoons melted caramel and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let cool and remove from pan. This makes about 18 cups.

Don't worry about the cooking time or how they look when they come out of the oven. They become a brownie cup. (See. She titled them right.)

Note-You already know I forgot to melt my caramels. (The recipe also said that you could use caramel ice cream topping. I tried that in a few and thought that it was too runny and did not set up. I think you could do it with a really thick one. OR =;^) you could use your Dulce de Leche. (Heat first so chocolate will melt.) Or you could use the caramel dip that they sell for apples (heated.)

Next week I will post a recipe that can use the rest of your sweetened condensed milk.

Tomorrow I will post a breakfast cake recipe that uses a lemon cake mix and a can of blueberries (not pie filling). I think I will try making it with fresh. (I have always used a can because that is what the recipe calls for, and I can buy a can and store until whenever.)

If you are looking for a fun free week-end activity, and live in Salt Lake area, think about the Safe Kids Fair. It is at the Sandy Expo Center. The children that we know really enjoy it. (Lincoln and sisters, Logan Layne...) They say they like "the swag"? Funny Lincoln.

Also, Monday is FREE DAY at the Natural History Museum at The University Of Utah campus. (It is free the 1st Monday of every month, year-round.)