I cannot even begin to express how much I love these decadent beauties. After my first half dozen bites, with each one followed by an eye roll or a long moan or some other verbal phrase of affirmation, I heard our oldest say…”Yes, Mom, we get it. You like the brownies.”
I then proceeded to eat the rest of my Fudgy Brownie Heart with Fresh Raspberry Buttercream in delicious silence. But it surely wasn’t easy.
Fudgy brownies are truly my biggest craving when it comes to sweets. And when you throw in some berries…well, I’m a goner. Which brings me to the fresh raspberry buttercream. It’s completely insane. I’ve never tasted a frosting so bright and tangy, so full of real raspberry flavor. And the vibrant pink color is compliments of the beautiful red raspberry alone. No artificial color was added.
If you’re looking for a fun and super flavorful dessert for Valentine’s Day, give these a try. They’re visually impressive, yet comforting like only a brownie knows how to be. I’m in love. {eye roll…”mmmmmm”…”ohhhh my”}
Ingredients
- nonstick vegetable oil spray
- 1/2 c. unsalted butter, diced
- 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 1-1/2 c. sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp. instant espresso powder
- 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 3/4 c. flour
- powdered sugar, to sprinkle on the finished brownie hearts
- 1/2 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 12 oz. raspberries, fresh or frozen
- 1/2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3-1/2 c. powdered sugar
- pinch of kosher salt
- 1 to 2 T. milk, if needed to thin out the frosting
Preparation
Preheat oven to 325°.
Fold a long piece of heavy foil into a 13" wide strip and fit it inside a 9" x 13" metal baking pan, leaving foil overhang on the 2 long sides. Spray the foil with nonstick spray.
Stir the butter and chocolate in a large heavy saucepan over very low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the sugar, and then the eggs, 1 at a time. Whisk in espresso powder, vanilla, and salt. Then sift the flour over the chocolate mixture and stir to blend well. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
Bake brownies until slightly puffed and dry-looking and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist batter attached, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on rack.
Cook the raspberries in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently until the raspberries are broken down into a sauce. Pour the sauce through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds, and then pour the raspberry sauce back in the pot. Simmer until the sauce reduces to a 1/4 cup. It will be a very rich red and concentrated sauce. Set aside to cool. With a mixer, cream the butter with a paddle attachment on medium high speed about 2 minutes, until lightened in color and a bit fluffy. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar, the 1/4 cup of cooled raspberry sauce, lemon juice, and salt. Mix until smooth. Add another 1-1/2 cups of powdered sugar and mix until smooth. If you want the frosting less stiff, add some milk, 1 tablespoon at a time. I did not add any milk to mine, and thought it was perfect for piping. Fit a pastry bag with a medium-large round tip (I used a Wilton #12) and fill with fresh raspberry buttercream.
Run a knife around the inside edge of the brownie pan. Use the overhanging foil as an aid and gently lift the brownies from the pan. The pan I used produces a brownie that is 1/2" thick. Be sure your cookie cutter is taller than 1/2". Press heart-shaped cookie cutters (the cookie cutters used in my photos measure 3" wide and 1-1/2" wide) firmly into the cooled brownie. Use a thin metal spatula to lift the cookie cutter filled with brownie from the foil. Gently press the brownie out of the cookie cutter. Repeat the cutting process until your brownie looks like a big piece of swiss cheese. (And I hope you're eating up some of those brownie scraps!)
With the pastry bag filled with fresh raspberry buttercream, pipe a line of frosting around the inside edge of one of the brownie hearts. Then fill in the inside of the line with frosting, too. Top with another brownie heart, very gently pressing down to make a sandwich. Repeat until all your brownie hearts are completed. To finish off, sprinkle the brownie hearts with powdered sugar. I like to fill a small hand sieve with powdered sugar and gently tap the side of the sieve to let the powdered sugar rain down.
Source
Brownies recipe was heavily adapted from one of my very favorite brownies, a recipe originally from Bon Appetit magazine, July 2009.
Fresh Raspberry Buttercream recipe very slightly adapted from Making Life Delicious.
I’m linking up with the following:
- Cheryl at TidyMom for I’m Lovin’ It (FREE Labels Branding Kit From Cathe Holden!)
- Robyn at Add a Pinch for Mingle Monday (You)
- Allison from Alli ‘n Son for Sweet Tooth Friday (Raspberry Cheesecake Cookie Cups)
Looks delicious and amazing!
Thank you so much – great to hear from you again!
Thank you so much, great to hear from you again!
Those look ridiculously good, Brenda! My daughter would flip if I made them.
Laurie Jesch-Kulseth @ Relishing It recently posted..Kick-Ass Dip!
And they are, Laurie! Our girls LOVED them!
These are so pretty! Perfect for the day of love:)
Maria recently posted..BBQ Chicken Deluxe Pan Pizza
Thank you, Maria! Have a great week!
Chocolate and raspberry?!?!? Count me in!
Will do! Thanks, Debbie!
these are gorgeous! cannot wait to make a batch myself.
Thank you, Linda!
Pretty and delicious! Winner!!
Katrina @ In Katrina’s Kitchen recently posted..White Chocolate Infused Cookies and Cream Filling
Thank you so much, Katrina! Have a great week!
If these aren’t the prettiest brownies I’ve ever seen I don’t know what is! That raspberry buttercream looks to die for too!
Paula recently posted..How To Make a Royal Icing Gazebo
Thank you, Paula – wishing an awesome week for you!
Almost to pretty to eat! Beautiful.
Christina @ This Woman Cooks! recently posted..Mac n’ Cheese Soup
Almost.
These sound so yummy! And I especially love those cute little hearts!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar recently posted..Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake
Thank you Katrina. Those litte hearts are my favorite, too.
These are adorable, I’m in love with them, pinned!
Joan Hayes@chocolate and more recently posted..Spicy Potato Wedges
Thank you so much, Joan!
Aww these are so cute and perfect for Valentine Day. The brownies look like there’d be good on their own too.
Becca-cookie jar treats recently posted..Cake Slice Bakers – January 2012: Chocolate Almond Cake
The brownies are EXCELLENT on their own. Definitely. Nice to hear from you, Becca!
They look very yummy! AND very pretty!
Annemarie recently posted..Living Boldly Week 2
Thank you, Annemarie!
Wow, these are gorgeous, and chocolate and raspberry are one of my favorite combos. What a great idea – loving your blog!
Anna @ hiddenponies recently posted..Saturday Sweets: Dark Chocolate Almond Cookies
Lovely to hear from you – thanks!!
Thank you so much, Anna!
mmmmmmmm, I think I’ll try to bake it! Looks delicious!
Aga @ a matter of taste recently posted..Summer tart with prawns
Ah what a lovely smell of the valentines day! Looks perfect
Agata recently posted..Ananasowe ciasto bez dodatku mąki i tłuszczu
these looks beautiful, getting ready for valentines!
Thank you, Jess!
I’m fairly certain I’d be moaning up a storm also…which could be embarrassing. But I’m fairly certain that anyone who tasted these would do the same. And then they’d understand and forgive me. I really need a good dose of that frosting!
Joanne recently posted..Recipe: Sparkling Champagne Cupcakes
These are so cute and sound amazing Brenda!!
Thanks for linking up! I featured your post in my wrap up http://tidymom.net/2012/16-valentine-ideas/
Have a great weekend!
TidyMom recently posted..I’m Lovin’ It Wrap Up: Love is in the Air
Thank you so much, Cheryl. It’s always a pleasure visiting & being featured on your site. Have a great week! xo
These look absolutely delicious! Yum yum
Mmmm they look amazing! I finish my exams on Friday so I’ll make these at the weekend! My housemates love brownies and I love making them so its brilliant!
Harriet recently posted..Samsung Omnia W
What an excellent way to celebrate finishing up with exams! Hope you like them!!
These look seriously delicious. I love using cookie cutters on brownies, because I can snack on the leftovers as I go!
Allison @ Alli ‘n Son recently posted..Weekly Meal Plan
Oh, you know it! Those brownie scraps are the best!!
My mouth is watering just looking at these. The combination of raspberry and chocolate would be delicious. I just might have to whip up a batch for Valentine’s day myself.
OMG…your site looks amazing!! Love the updates and these brownies FABULOUS!!
Thank you, thank you!
Looks SO good! I would LOVE to make this for my dad’s birthday which is on Valentine’s Day. I’m thinking strawberries instead of raspberry ;o) Thanks for posting this!
I went back and forth between strawberry and raspberry – I know the strawberry will be excellent, too!
Those are beautiful, and I love the little mini heart ones too. I want these for Valentine’s Day!!
beautiful!!!
So not fair – I just got back in from a run and am STARVING. These would taste so good right now!
Kristen recently posted..Project 365 2012 – A Photo A Day Journey – Week 3
Just wanted to stop by and tell you I featured these today over at The Crafted Sparrow.
They look yummy.
http://thecraftedsparrow.blogspot.com/2012/01/sweet-valentines-treats.html#more
Thank you so much!
Yum! LOVE the photo with the little heart shaped raspberry.
Thank you! We devoured these, so good!
these look SO good! I wonder if I can successful adapt to be gluten-free… always in for a good challenge!
Lisa [With Style and Grace] recently posted..Market Monday: Vegetable & Lentil Stew
I’d love for you to give it a shot, Lisa!
I tried these brownies and the frosting today. They were SOO good. I couldn’t stop eating them! I think they are one of the best brownies I have ever had!
Wonderful, wonderful!! Thank you so much for letting me know.
Theses looks so sweet and sound delicious, especially the Raspberry Buttercream! Yum!
Lorraine recently posted..Triple-Lemon Cheesecake
Thank you, Lorraine!
These are really cool! I love the filling! So beautiful! =)
Thank you!!
Aaaaaamazingly yummy and so so PERFECT for Heart Day! Hooray!!
Avril recently posted..White Chocolate Cranberry Bars
Thank you so much, Avril!
These are beautiful, Brenda!
Sweetsugarbelle recently posted..“Owl” Always Love You Cookies
Thank you so much!
Yum! Im making these tomorrow for a friends birthday! Thanks!
Yay! I hope you like them!
Looks delicious. Thinking about baking them for my birthday tomorrow…
Question; If I make them tonight and fill them with Raspberry buttercream, will they be to wet or moist tomorrow ?
regards
Osvald (Denmark)
Hello Osvald! They will be just fine to make the day before. But I wouldn’t make them any sooner than that. Hope you like them!
These look fabulous! they look great and I’m sure they taste awesome too:)
Mansi recently posted..Comment on Red Velvet Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting by Jennifer
Thank you so much. We’ll definitely be making these again!
Does this buttercream require refridgeration after it is made or will it stay good if it sits out? I guess my worry is whether or not the fruit will spoil?
My batch didn’t last more than a day around here. If you think you’ll have yours around for longer than that, I would definitely refrigerate them. Thanks, Amber!
These look awesome! Your photos are great also.
Thank you!
Wow!! I just found my heart cookie cutter today in the back of my cooking tools drawer. I am so going to use it to make these yummy looking treats.
Yay! Please let me know what you think!
This is absolutely ADORABLE!! I’m putting together a section of recipes for LOVE month on my site … http://www.wikimommy.com … and I would love to feature this!! Please email me ro (at) wikimommy (dot) com and let me know if I may re-post this on my site. Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks, Ro!
I tried making this about a week ago but the buttercream ended up so runny! I followed the recipe correctly, I don’t understand why this happened! I would love to try again though, such a yummy idea!!
I’m sorry to hear that, Nicole. I thought it was just the perfect consistency – nice and light and whippy. Did you reduce the raspberry to just 1/4 cup, so it was rather thickened and super concentrated? I don’t know what else to tell you, other than to just make sure the correct quantities are used next time. Best wishes!!
OH MY GOSH I completely forgot a whole paragraph of instructions! I missed the entire section on making the raspberry sauce. That’s a great excuse for me to try again!
Whew, I’m glad to hear there’s a good explanation for it!! Best wishes!
Hello!! These look amazing and I have 2 questions..
Can I use cherry instead of raspberry and is the buttercream very sweet considering the amount of shugar?
Thank you!!
Hello! Although I have not made this with cherries, I would surely not be afraid to try it…sounds delicious! Just be sure to cook it down until it’s syrupy and just 1/4 cup. The buttercream is quite sweet, with a very bright fruity tanginess. Best wishes!
Came across these on Pinterest, and thought they looked amazing! So I picked up the things I needed at the store today and gave it a shot. Ohmydang they are to die for! They disappeared in minutes! Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Yaaaaaayyyyy! Thank you so much for letting me know. So happy you liked them!!
Wow! These look delicious! I will definitely make these. Cheers!
The Culinary Chase recently posted..The Ninjamatics’ 2011 Canadian Weblog Awards Winners!
Thanks, Heather! I know a couple friends who were making this today, to surprise their family with tomorrow on Valentine’s Day. What a treat!
Hi I tried this recipe today because it looked so good and I loved it for Valentine but it didnt work with me
I left the brownies about 20 Min. in the oven even little bit more but when I tried to cut them they were sticking on the foil and the batter was not baked still raw. What happend? also when I tried cutting them with the cookie cutter the crust broke and it looked ugly. ‘Please help me !!!
I’m sorry to hear you had troubles, Laura. I’ve made these a couple times, plus I’ve heard from friends who have made them, and I’ve seen other bloggers make and feature this recipe on their own sites – you’re the first I’ve heard that the brownies didn’t work. I would double-check your ingredients and quantities. Did you spray your foil? Did you use unsweetened chocolate, per the recipe? I did try making these with sweetened chocolate in my trial baking and they did not cut as cleanly. But even with the unsweetened chocolate, they are not going to cut 100% perfectly. There will be a little bit of breakage, but it’s pretty minimal. That’s what the powdered sugar sprinkle is for, to make them look all pretty AND to hide any of that cutting imperfection! Best wishes with your next batch, please let me know how it goes.
Love this! I’m the process of making a batch myself for my sweetheart
a few tweaks…and peanutbutter buttercream in place of the raspberry – he’s going to love it ! Thanks for posting !
Wonderful to hear that, Caitlin! Hope you liked them!
Just a question: you called for 3 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, but in the instructions you only say to mix in 2 1/2 cups. Typo?
Hi Megan – this is what the recipe says: “Add 2 cups of powdered sugar, the 1/4 cup of cooled raspberry sauce, lemon juice, and salt. Mix until smooth. Add another 1-1/2 cups of powdered sugar and mix until smooth.” It’s all there!
I just made a double batch of these treats and they are absolutely fabulous! I used a high quality chocolate and found the perfect cookie cutter (thanks for mentioning the height–that saved me). These will be a Valentine tradition in my family.