My favorite brownie is chocolate with chocolate buttercream icing. Like a mini dessert, my ideal brownie is simple and sweet and not too big. I would bake all my brownies with lots of chocolate frosting if it were just me, but then what if someone likes nutty brownies, or plain brownies or white chocolate brownies?
This brownie recipe is meant to be shared with others. What I like about this easy cocoa based brownie recipe is that you can create more than one flavor from one bowl! Since the recipe bakes up 1 dozen, you could easily do 12 flavors if you are really creative, or you could do 2 flavors or 4 flavors. You get the idea. Brownies Your Way!
For this batch of brownies, I used white chocolate chunks, semi-sweet chocolate chunks, large walnut pieces and left some plain for my chocolate buttercream. But you could also try mini-peanut butter cups, mint chocolate pieces or mini m&m’s. I do advise against using sticky caramel based candies as they melt and will make it more difficult to remove your brownies from the pans. The brownies are mixed one batter, one bowl, then scooped into your favorite cupcake or muffin pan (spray very well first with a non-stick spray, preferably one with flour added ). Be careful not to overfill to allow room for your toppings.
After baking, your brownies should cool for 15 minutes. Set a timer so you don’t forget. If you allow them to cool too long, it will be more difficult to remove. I just take an offset spatula or your could use a butter knife, loosen the edges of the brownie, then lift out carefully. Or you could use cupcake liners if you like. I baked these brownies using Pam with flour spray and they all removed well. Well, except for one little break which I just ” fixed with extra frosting” !
Having a party? You could dress up the brownies with cute cupcake liners after baking. These “sweet baby” picks are from a recent baby shower we hosted for our daughter and her husband, but you could use any number of picks depending on your occasion.
If all this sounds like too much work and you really just want a pan of Chocolate Brownies, you can bake this recipe in a 8x8x3 inch pan, also sprayed with non-stick spray. There are different baking times and temperatures for the 2 methods:
- Individual Brownies baked in cupcake pan: Bake 350 degrees for 25 minutes
2. Whole Brownie pan baked in 8x8x3 pan: Bake 325 degrees for 30 minutes.
I’ll include my simple chocolate frosting recipe too, but any icing will work and make this mini brownie dessert special.
- 8 ounces butter, microwave for 30 seconds to soften
- 10 ounces white granulated sugar (1½ cup)
- 2 ounces light brown sugar, packed (1/4 cup)
- 3 whole eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla
- 4 ounces all-purpose flour (1 cup)
- 2 ounces unsweetened dutch cocoa (1/2 cup)
- ¼ tsp salt
- Additions as desired: white chocolate, chocolate chips, nuts, etc.
- 2 TBL melted butter
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 TBL unsweetened cocoa
- 1 TBL milk
- Mix softened butter with sugars and only until combined. The mixture will still be somewhat grainy. Don't overbeat. You don't want to incorporate air into the brownies.
- Add eggs and vanilla and stir until mixed.
- Add the cocoa and salt to the flour and add to your mixture.
- Using an ice cream scoop, add the chocolate batter to cupcake tins. Don't overfill.
- Add topping as desired.
- Bake brownies at 350 degrees, cool 20 minutes, remove from pan, and complete cooling before adding any icing or chocolate drizzle.
- For the chocolate icing:
- Combine melted butter with confectioner's sugar.
- Add the cocoa more or less depending on how dark you want your icing.
- Add milk to thin as desired.
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