Description
Delight in these charming heart-shaped brownies, rich with cocoa and studded with mini chocolate chips, then beautifully adorned with vibrant red candy melts and festive Valentine's sprinkles. Perfect for special occasions or gifting.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Additional Ingredients
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 cup red candy melts (such as Wilton Red Candy Melts)
- Optional: Valentine's sprinkles (mini heart candies, or additional chocolate chips)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving some parchment hanging over the edges for an easy removal of the brownies.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the melted and slightly cooled butter together with the granulated sugar until smooth and well blended, about 1 minute. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition, then stir in the vanilla extract.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Gently fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients using a spatula until just combined, ensuring not to overmix. A few flour streaks remaining is fine. Then, fold in the mini chocolate chips evenly.
- Bake the Brownies: Pour the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Avoid overbaking to keep them fudgy.
- Cool Completely: Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before proceeding to cut.
- Cut Heart Shapes: Once cooled, use the parchment paper overhang to lift the brownies out of the pan and place them onto a cutting board. Use a 2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out around 12 heart-shaped brownies by firmly pressing and gently wiggling to release each shape.
- Save Scraps: Keep the leftover brownie scraps for snacking, crumbling over desserts, or making truffles.
- Melt Candy: Melt the red candy melts according to package directions—typically heating in 30-second increments in the microwave and stirring between each until smooth.
- Decorate Brownies: Transfer the melted candy to a piping bag or a zip-lock bag with a small corner snipped off. Pipe decorative stripes, zigzags, or swirls over the heart-shaped brownies, or spread the candy evenly across the tops and add Valentine's sprinkles or mini heart candies while the candy is still wet.
- Let Set: Allow the decorated brownies to rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes or until the candy coating hardens completely.
- Serve and Enjoy: Your beautiful and delicious heart-shaped brownies are now ready to be enjoyed or gifted!
Notes
- Do not overmix the brownie batter; a few flour streaks are fine to keep the texture fudgy.
- Ensure the brownies are completely cool before cutting to prevent crumbling.
- Leftover brownie scraps can be repurposed for other desserts or as toppings.
- If you don't have red candy melts, white chocolate melts tinted with red food coloring can be used.
- Store decorated brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
