cosmic brownie hearts
Alright alright, I’ll make a heart shaped somethin-somethin for V-Day. Good thing they’re cuties.
We talking brownies today. Fudgy, thick, chocolatey-ass brownies, like those horribly preservative-laden squares of addictive shit many of us ate in our childhoods (and for some, adulthoods, let’s be real). These hearken to that classic packaged dessert, except better, and pink for the biggest farce of a marketing holiday out there.
Yet look at me, making something to add to the farce of a marketing holiday. Whatever. Hey, if I can make brownies for no reason, I’m going to make brownies for no reason.
What’s really funny about these is that when I mentioned to J that I was making Cosmic Brownies, he gave me this sort of “oh, fun, cool” nod before telling me that he didn’t know what Cosmic Brownies are. I near had an aneurysm. Turns out, the Cosmic Brownie was released first in 1999, well into adulthood for him; so, I guess I can’t be too alarmed by his ignorance. The more you know.
The art of the homemade Cosmic Brownie Heart is more in the chill time than any perceivable difference in the batter. Instead of a fudge frosting, I swirl ripples of smooth chocolate ganache on top of each confection and sprinkle with pretty pink balls. Balls for Valentine’s Day. How fitting.
What’s Better, the Brownie or the Batter?
I’m a bit of a hoe for brownie batter. Not a great habit, but we all have our flaws.
The only difference in the batter between this and some of my other brownie recipes is a higher amount of brown sugar vs white sugar. This creates a denser texture, which is more like the traditional treat. Melt some butter and dark chocolate chips in the microwave until totally smooth, then whisk in the sugars.
In the meantime, whip the fuck out of a few eggs to get them nice and frothy. This part creates the crinkly meringue-like crust after the brownies bake. Add in flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and a touch of salt. Pour all that in a 9 x 13 inch cake pan lined with parchment, spread, and bakey bakey bakey.
Osh, Posh, Ganache
After the brownies cool for a bit on the counter, pop the pan in the fridge to chill completely. One hour is minimum, but I recommend doing so overnight for the best results. Chilling allows the chocolate to mellow and the texture of the brownies to become less gooey and more solidified. Not to mention, the rich taste certainly intensifies with a good trip in the fridge.
Once you’re ready, make the ganache. Three simple ingredients: dark chocolate chips, heavy cream, and vanilla. Melt the chocolate, then whisk in the latter two components until the chocolate is satiny and shiny. The wrinkles in the ganache are seriously so pretty. I took about 30 photos of the bowl alone.
Now, for the heart shape, I used these cutters – I believe the 2.5 inch one, with a few 2 inch brownies. You can definitely make massive hearts if you want, for the folks you massively heart. Awww. Stamp out your preferred brownie size, then dip the crinkly top into the ganache. You can smooth out the frosting with a knife if you’d like, or keep the ripples like I did. Drop one some pretty pink nonpareils, or any color you’d like. I picked out the jimmies because I didn’t like how they looked, but feel free to keep them in your mix.
Chill the brownies one more time for 30 minutes, or longer if you’d like. Then serve them up, or package into a cute boxes and give them out to your Valentine(s). These would be really cute for teachers or coworkers, if you like your coworkers. Unless someone interprets the gesture wrong. That’d be awkward.
Enjoy the weekend, kids! And even if you’re not observing Valentine’s Day, make these brownies just for you. You deserve to love yourself.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Brownie points:
Extra Crinkly Nutella Fudge Brownies
Healthier Fudgy Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
cosmic brownie hearts
Ingredients
- 10 tbsp butter
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- red and pink nonpareils, for decorating
chocolate ganache
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 inch cake pan with parchment, with some of the paper overhanging the edges.
- Melt the butter and chocolate chips together for one minute. Stir until the bowl is no longer warm. If needed, microwave 20-30 seconds longer until smooth. Whisk in the sugar and brown sugar.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs until very frothy, about 2-3 minutes. With the mixer running, pour in the butter-chocolate mixture and the vanilla and beat until incorporated. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir until just combined.
- Spread the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake 22-25 minutes until an inserted toothpick emerges with just a few crumbs. Cool in the pan 15 minutes, then transfer the pan to the fridge for at least an hour to chill.
- When ready to decorate, make the ganache. Microwave the chocolate chips for 1 minute. Stir. Heat an additional 20-30 seconds until melted and smooth. Whisk in the heavy cream and vanilla until very silky.
- Using a cookie cutter, stamp out heart shapes from the chilled brownies. The smaller the cutout, the more brownies you will get. Dip the crinkly side of the brownie into the ganache. I like the swirls, but if you'd like a smooth topping, spread the ganache with a spatula. Dot the ganache with nonpareils. Chill the brownies another 30 minutes.
