Valentine's Day Brownies

This Valentine’s Day Brownies recipe is quick to throw together. If you need a last minute Valentine’s Day treat, this is the move! 

Step 1. Mise en Place

If you’ve seen any of my recipes on here, you know the first step is to mise en place AKA make sure you have everything ready to go. This is your time to gather, measure, and make any preparations to your ingredients. Make sure you have all the equipment you need to make your recipe. This will make your cooking process much smoother and less stressful. 

TIP: line the bottom of your baking dish with parchment paper to make it easier to remove the brownies later!

Step 2. Melt it Down

In a large microwave safe bowl, stir together the first quantity of butter and the chopped chocolate. Heat in the microwave until melted together, stirring every 20-30 seconds to avoid scorching the chocolate.

Step 3. Pour Some Sugar (on me, in the name of love)

In a separate bowl, combine the dark brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk together until evenly combined. Then, slowly stir the chocolate and butter into the egg mixture. Temper the warm chocolate into the egg mixture to avoid making scrambled eggs in your brownies. This guide from the Spruce Eats does an excellent job explaining how to temper/why you need to temper.

Step 4. Mix in the Dry Ingredients

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Then, combine the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture. Mix in about 2/3 of the semi sweet chocolate chips.

Step 5. Pour and Bake

Pour the brownie batter into your prepared baking sheet, and sprinkle the remaining semi sweet chocolate chips on top. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick can be removed without pulling up batter.

Step 6. Whip up the Buttercream

While the brownies are baking, it’s time to whip up the buttercream. Add the butter, salt, powdered sugar, and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Carefully mix until the powdered sugar is combined enough to not fly everywhere. Pour in the heavy cream, then turn to medium-high speed and whip until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add in a few drops of pink or red food coloring if you want the frosting to fit the Valentine’s Day theme. I chose pink!

Step 7. Let Cool, Decorate, and Serve!

Let the brownies cool for 20-30 minutes before frosting them. Sprinkle with Valentine’s themed sprinkled if desired, and cut into 12 pieces. I promise the brownies will be easier to cut if they are completely cooled off – but I understand the urge to dig in!