Cookies and Brownies Archives - Simple Brunch Ideas

Such a simple, yummy and impressive dessert! This recipe is from BettyCrocker.com.

Ingredients:
1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist French vanilla cake mix
1 cup water
1/3 cup butter, softened (I substituted coconut oil)
3 eggs
1 cup vanilla pudding
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup whipping cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 48 mini muffin cups.

2. Combine cake mix, water, butter (or coconut oil) and eggs and mix until smooth. Spoon batter into muffin cups — do not overfill, just below rim.

3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until they spring back when touched lightly.

4. Once they are completely cool, slice off the top of each cupcake.

5. Spoon 1 teaspoon pudding onto the bottom half of each cupcake. Cover with top half.

6. Melt chocolate chips and whipping cream together (60 seconds in microwave or use a double boiler on stovetop). Stir until smooth.

7. Spoon chocolate mixture on top of each cupcake.

Store in refrigerator up to three days. Prepare for lots of OOs and AHs.

These brownies were a hit at my Valentine’s brunch and are so
simple to make.

You can make brownies from scratch if you like, but I think some of the box mixes out there are as good as any brownies I’ve tasted and certainly a lot simpler to make. And you can make your own icing from scratch, too, but I chose the simpler path of using canned
frosting. Below I’ll explain how I used fresh raspberries in the creamy frosting and share with you some tips for creating these special Valentine’s brownies.

Ingredients:
Fudgy brownies (from the bakery, box mix or from scratch)
Buttercream frosting (canned or freshly made)
1 cup of fresh raspberries

Directions:

Line a 13″x9″ pan with foil so the edges hang over the sides. Spray with cooking spray.

2. Bake the brownies, following the box instructions or your own recipe.

3. Let them cool completely. Lift the brownies out of the pan using the excess foil.

4. Use heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut out the brownies.

5. Slice each brownie in half horizontally and lay the bottom half on the serving tray.

6. In a small saucepan, add the raspberries and cook over medium heat until the raspberries begin to break down, about 5 minutes.

7. Put the raspberries into a strainer and press out the juice. Let the juice cool.

8. Stir the raspberry juice into the buttercream frosting, and put into a pastry bag with a small tip. Pipe the frosting onto the bottom half of each heart brownie.