Even if you’re not interested in starting a business, I think you’re going to want to make this recipe!!!!!! 

When most people have business ideas, they worry that someone else might steal them. When I have business ideas, I worry that people WON’T steal them!!!!!!

Having had my own successful handmade gift bag company for 14 years and having loved the rollercoaster of entrepreneurial highs and lows, I now have more business ideas that I feel just as strongly about in terms of instinctually knowing that they will succeed!  

Here’s where you come in!  I would absolutely love for you to take an  idea from this blog and turn it into your own thriving business!  

Turn your passion into profit!

Turn your cacao tree into a money tree!

The first idea is one that could really start incredibly slow and small and really grow incredibly profitable!  The funny thing about this idea is that it involves baking and I almost never bake anything. I have always hated cooking so you know that the recipe I’m going to give you has got to be something special if I’m willing to take the time to make it.  

Have you ever had a Mexican brownie?  Until 2 years ago, I had never even heard of them.  I was planning a Cinco de Mayo party and came across this unheard of dessert while I was searching Pinterest for food ideas! The Mexican brownie is one of the best guilty pleasures I’ve ever had!

What makes the Mexican brownie different from the American brownie?  Cayenne pepper and cinnamon give the brownies, and this is coming from someone who doesn’t really like anything spicy, a warm kick with an addictive aftertaste.  As you chew they taste better and better and better until you have to have another bite!  Obviously you can control the amount of “kick” that you want!  Apparently the cayenne also enhances the chocolate flavor!

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, and salt, cinnamon and cayenne.
3. Melt butter in a large saucepan and remove from heat. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Quickly whisk in eggs one at a time.
4. Add butter mixture to flour mixture and stir until well blended. Spread brownie batter into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Remember the wild success of Mrs. Fields Cookies, Auntie Anne’s Soft Pretzels, Cinnabon Cinnamon Buns, Sprinkles Cupcakes…I believe the time has come for the Mexican Brownie to be the next big baked goods money maker!

In case you think a personal size sweet couldn’t possibly be financially lucrative, think about franchising potential and the possibility of having your brownie mix in thousands of grocery stores.  You could sell not only in the U.S. but to many other countries as well!  Think about following in Mrs. Fields footsteps!  Including franchise locations, she grew the business to over 600 stores and eventually sold to an omnichannel branded food company for $100 million dollars!  

Perhaps along the way or once you’ve sold your business you’ll write a best selling book and travel the world doing speaking engagements about your experience!  Knock knock…who’s there…?

Its Hollywood and we want to make a movie about you and your Mexican brownie brand!

After some smaller sales (elaborate later) you could create your very own colorful, fun and fragrant food truck!  My vision for both food trucks and store locations would include…

Colorful Otomi wallpaper as seen here by Society6!  Otomi is also available in wood tiles or could be hand painted onto a food truck exterior!  The colorful pattern reflects the history of Mexico with Spanish and Aztec influence and is often used in Mexican embroidery.  The distinctive Otomi look features different animals and/or floral designs! 

I love the idea of a very clean look for a place that’s selling food!  Combine the Otomi with white tile and white countertops that would contrast well with the rich chocolate color!

All of these beautiful bright colors could be overwhelming for 4 walls so following are some ideas to compliment the print!  Since chocolate comes from the cocoa beans of the cacao plant,  it would be nice to include some actual plant photos as well as some drawings or paintings like the ones below!

Mexico is actually the birthplace of chocolate!  

The first cacao plants were discovered there over 4,000 years ago!

How far do I go on the whole history of chocolate thing????

Naturally you’re going to need to sell beverages to go with your brownies!

With so much lactose intolerance and so many different types of available milk, I would go with a variety of milks that are sold in glass bottles!  The glass keeps the milk colder and keeps it cold for longer than plastic or cartons.  Glass also makes milk easier to digest!  Environmentally speaking, one of the top recyclable materials is glass!  

You might also want to sell some glass bottled Mexican sodas and waters and coffee!

 There is also Mexican Hot Chocolate which is more rich but less sweet than the American hot chocolate!  Also, Mexican Hot Chocolate is made with cinnamon!