Recipe | Heart Brownies

I have been making these brownies for years. The brownies are always a hit where ever I go: to a party, the office, or just at home. Not only are they delicious, they have the cutest design; perfect for Valentine's (or Galentine's) Day!

This recipe is the best for lazy winter days (& lazy bakers haha), because the recipe is essentially one bowl. Say good bye to the usual 5-bowl, sticky, chocolatey mess you're used to cleaning up and say 'hello' to free time lounging and munching on these delicious brownies.

Fun fact, the MF made me that heart cookie cutter. I was in a rush, and didn't have a heart cookie cutter. When I made my way to the usual stores, they all somehow sold out of theirs or had ridiculously huge ones. MF decided to make it into a hands on project! It's not store bought, but it's sincerely one of my favorite items in the world. I use it constantly, and it means so much to me, because MF made it for me so I could spread the love (& chocolate)!

Opposites Attract

The Ingredients        (source: Smitten Kitchen)      Yields 32 brownies         3 ounces chocolate, semisweet and good                   white chocolate, coarsely chopped         1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter,                   plus extra for greasing pan         3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar         2 large eggs         1 teaspoon vanilla         1/4 teaspoon table salt         2/3 cup all-purpose flour         1 inch heart-shaped cookie cutter Note: Use good white chocolate. Avoid using white morsels or white baking chips. They contain less cocoa butter making it harder to melt into a smooth mixture (ref).

The Instructions Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two 8x8-inch square pan with foil, then butter foil. Melt the white or semisweet chocolate with the butter in a large bowl over a pot of simmering water or microwave in 30 second bursts. When it's 90% melted, remove it from heat and stir until your mixture is smooth. Whisk one egg in at a time, then add vanilla. Mix flour and salt together, then stir until just combined. Spread into square pan and bake for 20 minutes (semisweet chocolate) and 25 minutes (white chocolate). Repeat steps 2-5 for other chocolate with second pan. Cool pans on wire rack, then transfer to the freezer if making cut-outs. Frozen brownies yield cleaner cuts. Once brownies are frozen solid, transfer to cutting board and cut each pan into 16 squares, each about 2x2 inches. Slowly, press the cookie cutter into the center of each brownie, and then set aside the cut-out. Insert white chocolate hearts into semisweet brownie centers, and vice versa with semisweet hearts. Let brownies warm to room temperature, and serve!

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