Father's Day "Grill" Brownies

We celebrated Father's Day a week early.  My son kept my husband busy while my daughter made a Happy Father's Day banner, readied the cards and gifts and helped me make these cute brownies.  They are little grills topped with candy pork chops and hot dogs (complete with grill marks) including the grates and red coals.  Too cute!  I saw these in a magazine and just had to make them.  My husband loves brownies so it was a no-brainer.  Here's how we did it:

FATHER'S DAY "GRILL" BROWNIES

1 box brownie mix (plus ingredients to make them)
white frosting (from a can or homemade- *see below)
black food coloring
red sugar crystals
caramels
Hot Tamales candies or red Mike and Ike candies


*Homemade Buttercream Frosting:  Mix 1/2 stick butter, softened, 2 cups powdered sugar and 1 TBS milk.  If too thick you can add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time until spreadable.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Make brownie batter according to box directions.  Line cupcake pan with liners.  Fill each 2/3 of the way with batter.  Bake 20-22 minutes.  Don't over bake or they'll be dry.  Let them cool.

Meanwhile, tint about a cup of the frosting with a little black food coloring, just enough to turn it gray.  Set aside.

Then, warm the caramels (either hold them in your hands for a while or put in microwave for 5 seconds (NOT LONG or they'll melt).  Then mold them into pork chop shapes.  Using a toothpick dipped in black food coloring, make grill marks on the pork chops and the Hot Tamales hot dogs.

Once the brownies are cool, sprinkle them with red sugar crystals.

Spoon the gray frosting into a small ziploc bag.  Snip the tip of the corner with scissors.  Draw the grates onto brownies.

Add the pork chops and hot dogs.

My husband loved the brownies!  Cute and delicious!  If you've got a Grill Master Guy in your life, make these and ensure a Happy Father's Day!