Day 12: Heart-shaped Brownies with Raspberry Buttercream

Are you as in love with Pinterest as I am? If you don’t know what Pinterest is yet, be sure to google it immediately! It’s like an online scrapbook with the whole internet as your content. Super duper fun! I found this recipe on pinterest and made it solely becuase it looked so beautiful. (The fact that I love brownies and raspberry had very little to do with my decision…) The brownies from scratch are out of this world – probably the best brownie recipe I’ve ever had. And the fresh raspberry buttercream is like nothing you’ve ever tasted before. Most raspberry baked goods are made with raspberry flavoring which make them taste a little preservative-y, but this is made from all natural, fresh raspberries reduced down to a really concentrated syrup that is then mixed with butter and powdered sugar. AMAZING! Both to look at and to eat. :)

I followed this recipe from the one posted on A Farm Girls Dabbles

Fudgy Brownie Hearts with Fresh Raspberry Buttercream

1/2 c. salted sweet cream butter

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate

1 1/2 c. sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

3/4 c. flour

Fresh Raspberry Buttercream

1/2 c. butter

12 oz. raspberries (fresh or frozen)

1/2 tsp. lemon juice

3 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1-2 Tbls. milk

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 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.

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.

Be sure to to check out A Farm Girls Dabbles for her instructions using pictures.