When I originally shared my Fudgy Brownie Hearts with Fresh Raspberry Buttercream before Valentine’s Day, I really had no idea how much I would crave that exact combination of flavors afterward, or how easy it would be to adapt the recipe for different seasons and holidays.
I was recently looking for a small pretty dessert, befitting a spring brunch menu. When nothing was jumping out at me, I decided to reincarnate that chocolate and raspberry treat I fell in love with a couple months ago. These Fudgy Spring Brownie Bites with Fresh Raspberry Buttercream are much smaller in form, only slightly wider than the large raspberry at the center…perfect for a spring dessert buffet (so you can try each and every sweet treat available!), baby or bridal shower, or Mother’s Day brunch. A little flower shape of deep dark fudgy brownie with some beautiful raspberry buttercream (its raspberry flavor AND color come from fresh raspberries alone, no artificial enhancements!), crowned with a juicy red berry…heavenly!
Ingredients
- 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
- 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
- fresh raspberries, for topping the buttercream
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 and bake brownies until slightly puffed and dry-looking, and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist batter attached. This should take about 20 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on rack.
Once cooled, 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 small flower-shaped cookie cutters (the cookie cutter I used measures 1-1/2'' in diameter, a piece from this set) 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 you have a whole bunch of little brownie flowers.
Cook the raspberries in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently until the raspberries are broken down into a sauce. Set up a fine mesh strainer lined with 2 layers of cheese cloth. Pour the raspberry sauce over the cheese cloth to remove the seeds. I gather up the ends of the cheese cloth and gently press out all the raspberry juice. Pour the raspberry juice back in the pot. Simmer until the juice reduces to a 1/4 cup. It will be a very rich red and concentrated sauce. Set aside to cool completely.
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 pipe the frosting onto your cut-out brownie flower, in little dollops. Finish by placing a fresh raspberry in the center.
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 adapted from Making Life Delicious.
I’m linking up with the following:
- Cheryl at TidyMom for I’m Lovin’ It (Easy Dinner Ideas & Mikasa GIVEAWAY)
- Allison at Alli ‘n Son for Sweet Tooth Friday (Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies)
- Robyn at Add a Pinch for Mingle Monday (Each Day is a Gift)
These are so cute! Not a big fan of raspberries, but I bet I could swap it out with strawberries. Yum!
Emily @ She Makes and Bakes recently posted..Snickerdoodle Bars
Thanks, Emily! I have yet to try this out with strawberries, but do plan to give it a try!
Those are so pretty and cute!
Thanks, Sarah!
Absolutely beautiful!
Thank you, Erin!
These are so cute! I’m new to your blog and LOVING it! Just made the Red Velvet brownies last night and they were a total hit with the fam. Saw a “tip” for those leftover Brownie Bits on Pinterest the other day…roll leftover brownie bits into small balls and dust with powdered sugar or cocoa powder. Wa-la…no waste! Of course in my house there would be no waste anyway, we’d be happy eating the plain leftovers
So nice to meet you, Angie! I’m so happy you liked the Red Velvet Brownies. Those brownie balls sound sinful, will have to give that a try next time – thanks for sharing!
Wow! These look amazing!!! I’m going to have to try them out!
xx
Giovanna
http://www.oliveandanarrow.com
Shabby Apple Gift Card Giveaway!
Thank you, Giovanna!
Yay for the return of the fudgy brownies! I think I’ll make them as a weekend treat for my housemates, these would go in about 30 minutes in our house!
Harriet recently posted..Sony Ericsson Xperia X8
Made them this afternoon and they’re already gone! They were amazing!
Harriet recently posted..Sony Ericsson Xperia X8
That’s awesome!! Thanks for coming back to let me know. Have a great week!
What a fun dessert! Love the shapes!
Maria recently posted..Spinach and Edamame Salad
They look great! Sweet idea!
Thank you, Marjorie – so nice to meet you!
So pretty! I love that you used raspberries.
Christina @ This Woman Cooks! recently posted..Worcestershire Burgers with Mushroms, Swiss, and Ranch Dressing
Thank you, Christina!
These are absolutely adorable! My mom loves the combination is raspberry and chocolate. Every easter she gets the Cadbury Creme egg with the raspberry filling. I bet she would live these for mother’s day
Becca-cookie jar treats recently posted..Marbled Chocolate Chip Cookies
Thank you, Becca! You should make them for your mom.
These look delicious. How do I print just the recpe?
The are two little icons to the right of the recipe title that should take you to a print only version. Hope this helps!
Aggie recently posted..Spring Reading List: What’s On My Bookshelf Right Now
Hi Julie! It looks like Aggie and my mom have taken care of your question about printing (thank you!). Hope you like these!
What a cute presentation!
JeNae @ The Terrace Housewife recently posted..Blackberry Crescent Pastries
Thank you, JeNae – nice to meet you!
You always come up with such cute brownie treats!
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious recently posted..Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
Ohhhhh, thank you so much, Chung-Ah!
These are super cute!!! I love them.
Greets!
bigFATcook recently posted..Wizard Of Oz Cakes
Thank you! Nice to meet you!
These are the cutest, most delicious looking brownie bites!
Paula recently posted..Gender Reveal Cookie Invitations
Thank you, Paula! xo
Lovely, really lovely!
They look great and I’m sure they taste fab!
Thanks for sharing
Thank you!!
Those are so cute! I love the fresh raspberry on top and the flower shape. I can’t wait to try out the raspberry buttercream!
Thank you, Emily. Hope you like this, too!
I’m a HUGE raspberry fan! these look fantastic Brenda!
Thanks for linking up! I featured your post in my wrap up! http://tidymom.net/2012/diy-ideas-for-home/ Have a great weekend
TidyMom recently posted..I’m Lovin’ It Wrap Up: DIY ideas
Can you guess what I’ll be making when our raspberry patch is producing like crazy come July?! Thanks bunches, Cheryl! xo
All I want is the recipie for the Fudgy Spring Brownie Bites with Fresh raspberry buttercream frosting. Guess this is too much to ask for:(
Julie, it is easy to print just the recipe. To the right of the title of the recipe you should see two symbols that look like sheets of paper. If you click on the second one to the right just the recipe will come up, and then you can print it. Hope this helps you.
Thanks, Mom.
xo 
xo
These caught my eye on Pinterest the other day! They are adorable and so fun Brenda!
Thank you, Aggie! Hope you have a great week!
Oh, my chocolate happiness…these look amazing. I cannot wait to try them!
Natalie @ Cooking for My Kids recently posted..Ethan’s Progress Report
These are so pretty!
Fudgy Spring Brownie Bites with Fresh Raspberry Buttercream…perfect for a spring brunch!…
Louise recently posted..Online Aukcije
These are the cutest little brownie bites!! Problem is, I don’t think I’d be able to stop at just one…
Lisa [With Style and Grace] recently posted..Strawberry Milkshake, Dairy-free
Almost too pretty to eat! Almost.
With spring just around the corner, there will be millions of baby showers – wedding showers and of course picnics – - I’ll have to make these for all of the above
it looks magnificent.
Living The Sweet Life recently posted..Thank You for being SO Fantastically-Amazing
Hello,
I’ve found your recipe at addapinch.com and I had to stop by. I think we all love raspberries and they surely look perfect here. So cute.
Danijela recently posted..The Next Generation of Kcup is Here | Keurig Vue
Oh these are so cute!! I love raspberry, it just pairs so well with the chocolate!
Catalina @ Cake with Love recently posted..Smoked Salmon Salad
This is so delicious. I have made this brownies and my kids enjoyed eating. They request more for tomorrow!
1sheer recently posted..Do You Know The Various Topics In Training For Human Resources?
These are awesome! Just the thing for a party – so pretty & undoubtedly, delicious!
I made these again last night (about 80 or so) and AGAIN, they were gone! Everyone just loves them. These will definitely become a staple for me when I am entertaining. I doubled the Raspberry Buttercream recipe and am going to save it for a get-together we are going to this weekend. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It is quickly becoming one of my favorites (it’s right up there with your lasagna soup!). Have a blessed day!
Jonna recently posted..It’s Friday . . . but Sunday’s Coming!
Brenda,
Any advice as to how long I could keep the raspberry buttercream? If I put it in an airtight container and put it in the fridge do you think I could stretch it a couple weeks? I love, love, love this buttercream and I am finding myself putting it on all sorts of goodies. Each time I make this I double the buttercream recipe (and no, I don’t quite eat all the extra!). Any suggestions as to how long I could keep it?
Hello Jonna! I would be comfortable with it being refrigerated for a week, but not sure beyond that. I might consider freezing it if you thought it would be longer than a week. I’m so glad you love this recipe and keep making it.
I just found you thru Pinterest and they look very yummy! I cannot wait to make them later this week!
Megan
Megan recently posted..Elf on the Shelf Tradition
I wonder how these would taste dipped in mint chocolate… Hmmmm…
I wonder how these would taste dipped in mint chocolate dip? Could be a very good or a very busy this week, ha!
I think these are stunning! I am thinking I may try a trio of cherry, blueberry, pineapple for the Fourth of July! Pinned.
What an excellent idea!