What’s better than a heart-shaped brownie? A homemade heart-shaped brownie sandwich filled with a luscious raspberry buttercream frosting!
These decadent brownies satisfy with rich chocolate flavor, fabulous fudgy texture and a hint of espresso. Made with fresh raspberries, the buttercream frosting gets your attention with its red hue and brightens your palate with a sweet-tart raspberry deliciousness.
Chocolate and raspberries are a match made in heaven. Sandwiched together in a brownie heart sandwich, they are over-the-top divine.
In a pinch, you could certainly use a boxed brownie mix, but this fudgy brownie recipe is easy to put together and tastes beyond better than brownies out of a box. Best yet, we’re betting you already have all of the ingredients in your pantry.
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Though the raspberry buttercream frosting requires the extra step of cooking down the raspberries to make the sauce, the result is well worth the effort. You’ll get an impressive rose-colored frosting with a distinct raspberry flavor like no other buttercream frosting you’ve ever tasted.
Set a plate of these scrumptious brownie sandwiches on the table for Mother’s Day, as the finish to a Valentine’s Day dessert for two, or as a special treat for your family.
But don’t stop there! You can also serve these brownie heart sandwiches as festive table treats for weddings, baby showers, anniversary celebrations and birthday parties.
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Add chocolate and butter to a bowl
Pour sugar into chocolate mixture
Add eggs to mix
Add espresso powder
For smooth brownies, sift flour into mixture
Transfer brownie batter to pan
Strain raspberry pulp
Combine butter and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl
Add powdered sugar to buttercream
Put raspberry buttercream into a pastry bag
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Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut-out brownies
A simple and elegant dessert for any celebration
Heart-shaped brownies with raspberry buttercream
Ingredients
For brownies:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, diced
- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup flour
- Nonstick vegetable oil spray
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, for decorating
For raspberry buttercream:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 12 ounces raspberries, fresh or frozen
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3-1/2 cups powdered sugar
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk, if needed to thin out the frosting
Instructions
For brownies:
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- Stir butter and chocolate in large heavy saucepan over very low heat until chocolate is melted.
- Remove from heat and whisk in sugar. Allow to cool slightly.
- Then slowly whisk in eggs, one at a time.
- Add espresso powder, vanilla and salt.
- Using sifter, sift 1/2 cup flour at a time over chocolate mixture and stir to blend well.
- Fold long piece of heavy foil into 13-inch-wide strip and fit inside 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan, letting foil hang over on two long sides. Spray foil with nonstick spray.
- Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake brownies until slightly puffed and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist batter attached, about 13–15 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely in pan on rack.
For raspberry buttercream:
- In medium saucepan, cook raspberries over medium heat, stirring frequently until raspberries are broken down (about 14 minutes.)
- Pour raspberry sauce through fine mesh strainer to remove seeds, and then pour raspberry sauce back in pan.
- Simmer until sauce reduces to 1/4 cup. It will be a very rich, red, concentrated sauce. Set aside to cool.
- Using stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until fluffy and light in color.
- Add 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup cooled raspberry sauce, lemon juice and salt. Mix until smooth.
- Add another 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar and continue mixing until smooth.
- Note: For thinner frosting, add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Fit pastry bag with medium-large round tip (Wilton #12) and fill with raspberry buttercream.
- Run knife around inside edge of brownie pan. Use overhanging foil as an aid to gently lift brownies from pan. Allow to cool.
- Press heart-shaped cookie cutter into cooled brownie.
- Use thin metal spatula to lift cookie cutter filled with brownie from foil. Gently press brownie out of cookie cutter. Repeat until all brownies have been cut out. Note: You’ll need an even number so each brownie will have a top and bottom.
- Fill pastry bag with raspberry buttercream.
- Pipe line of frosting around inside edge of a brownie heart. Then fill in inside of line with frosting. Top with another brownie heart, very gently pressing down to make sandwich.
- Repeat process until all brownie hearts are completed.
- To finish, sprinkle brownie hearts with sifted powdered sugar.
Notes
Brownies can be made up to two days ahead of serving time. Store in airtight container at room temperature.
Raspberry buttercream frosting can be made up to four days before serving. Refrigerate frosting in an airtight container. Allow frosting to come to room temperature, and then use an electric mixer to beat until it reaches spreadable consistency. Add bit of milk if frosting is too stiff.
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