It’s Valentine’s Day morning, I’m in the second stage of my book edit, I have a photo shoot taking place for a magazine around twelve today (will tweet, facebook and instagram from it, links below if you’d like to follow). Robert the Husband has the week off work and he has given me a subscription to Tatler and three pale yellow Hellebore as a Valentine’s gift. He also made my coffee. I’m so happy. We both feel like the shock of last year is wearing off, who knew it would take months and months, and we are laughing a lot more again. It’s normal. I had no idea it would impact in the way it did. Such a delay. So strange.
But enough of that, I’m here to give you a recipe for the softest, most dense bite of brownie you could ask for on Valentine’s Day. And to say thank you.
Will you all be my Valentine? I love you, but you already know that.
You will need:
For the chocolate brownie hearts -
200g plain flour
200g butter, unsalted and softened (plus a a little extra for greasing)
200g caster sugar
100g cocoa
4 large free range eggs
170ml whole (full fat) milk
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
For the buttercream filling & topping-
200g icing sugar, sifted
200g butter, unsalted and softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 190°c/Gas 5
In the bowl of a stand alone mixer, blend the sugar and butter until creamy. In separate small clean bowl, lightly whisk the eggs. Sift the flour into the mixing bowl and whilst the mixer is moving, slowly add the eggs until the mixture is light and creamy. Sift in the cocoa and the baking powder and add the milk, salt and vanilla. Mix together for a least 3-4 minutes until fully combined and the mixture is smooth and lump free.
Pour the brownie mixture into a square, greased baking tin, 23cm x 23cm wide and 7cm deep, and bake in the oven for around 30 minutes.
Once the cake has been remove from the oven, allow it to cool completely before removing the cake from the tin.
Use a heart shaped cookie cutter (aprrox 5cm) to carefully cut the chocolate brownie cake into heart shaped pieces. If the cookie cutter does not go all the way through the brownie cake to the bottom, use a small, sharp knife to cut around the heart shape cutting all the way through.
When all of the hearts have been cut, (from this mix, you should be able to cut at least 8 heart shaped brownies) use a clean, sharp knife to cut the brownies in half equally, through the middle. Set the brownie pieces to one side for the time being.
For the filling and the topping, combine the butter, icing sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand alone mixer and mix until almost white in colour.
Transfer the butter cream filling to a piping bag with a small nozzle attachment.
Pipe the butter cream onto the bottom half of the heart shaped brownies and then replace the tops.
Decoratively pipe the icing onto the top of the hearts as you wish.
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What a thoughtful gift from Robert and now he gets the brownies in return. Lovely. I’m waiting for husband to arrive home from work at the mo – dinner is in the oven so i’m hoping he’ll be back in the next few mins. So i’d better go really!
Have a lovely evening everyone.
Bex.x
Happy Valentines Cherry! I made your heart shaped cookies! love. Verónica
WE love you and your sweet family too!
We love you too! Have a glorious day….. Deb H x
Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your family! It’s been ages since I’ve made brownies, far too long and this should remedy that nicely.
Happy Valentine’s Day Cherry! Thanks for the recipe – I was looking for something fun to make for my boys tonight. They will love this! Though I may have to make Millenium Falcon and Death Star brownies for my four-year-old. He got Star Wars cookie cutters this weekend from his Grandma and EVERYTHING is those shapes right now! Last year we made a Heart-themed fireplace garland, inspired by your Leaf and Advent garlands, for Valentine’s Day and this year we made one for the boys bedroom window. So thank you for keeping our Valentine’s Day special
Much love xoxo
Happy Valentine’s day Cherry. I’ve my heart cookie cutters so I’m just going to make on big heart shaped brownie! Have a good day x
Happy Valentines Day Cherry! These look divine, might treat my other half this weekend
Cx
Happy Valentine’s Day! Have just finished a table runner to your patchwork pattern and am thrilled with it so thank you x
Happy Valentines Day Cherry! Hope you have a lovely day, look forward to seeing the photo shoot pics
x
Hi Cherry
lovely, will make them later, its hubbys birthday and he loves brownies!
What size of baking tin gives a good depth to the brownies? I really want to try them out. Thanks Cx
Hello Cara, the baking tin measured 23cm x 23cm and 7cm deep, but the mixture once baked, is around 3cm in height.
Hope this helps.
Lovely Cherry- Happy St Valentine to you and your family, Jo xx
How pretty! Valentines Day is extra special in our house, it’s my dear hubby’s b/day
Lovely! Wishing you and Robert a loved up Valentines Day. xx for you both.
Hope the shoot goes really well.
Yummy, will be making these! Love brownies that are made with cocoa not chocolate! in my mind that makes them more healthy
They look GORGEOUS! Think I’ll have to make some of those with my little girls playdate layer today. The daddy’s will be thrilled to receive these when they get home tonight.
Happy Valentines Day and I’m so glad you’re starting to laugh again.
Hugs k xxx
looks like a very lovely recipe.
Glad you have been spoilt.
Happy Valentine’s Day
x