This recipe was inspired by a brown sugar buttercream truffle enrobed in dark chocolate at my favorite local chocolate shop in Seattle. I’m not sure what it is about brown sugar buttercream that makes me think of Hawaii. Perhaps it’s that the flavor reminds me, not of the coconut, but the rich sugary brown notes you smell in suntan lotion on the beach.
I wanted to take those flavors and bring them to something more easily made at home. These brownie bites are still rich and chocolatey. The graham cracker adds a bit of buttery, salty crunch and also makes the bites easier to remove from the muffin tin! But it’s the buttercream that takes it over the top.
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
6 whole cinnamon graham crackers, crumbled
2 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
Vegetable cooking spray
Brownie Bites
4oz unsweetened baking chocolate, broken into large chunks
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into large pieces
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tablespoons espresso powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
Brown Sugar Sauce
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons cream
1 1/2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon molasses
Buttercream
1 cup butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt, plus more for optional topping
Brown sugar sauce
Directions
For the crust:
Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the graham crackers and sugar. Process until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Add the melted butter and blend until the mixture forms into clumps. Spoon one teaspoon of the mixture into the bottom of each muffin cup, pressing gently to form an even layer. Bake for 5-7 minutes until the crust is golden. Cool for 15 minutes.
For the brownie bites:
In a small, heatproof bowl, microwave the chocolate and the butter at 50% power for 1 minute 30 seconds until chocolate and butter are completely melted. If chocolate and butter are not fully melted continue to microwave in 30 second increments being careful not to allow the ingredients to boil. Stir the chocolate and butter together until smooth.
Add the chocolate mixture and sugar to the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until combined. Add the eggs, espresso powder, and vanilla and mix until smooth. Bring the mixer to a stop and add the flour. Starting on low and slowly increasing the speed, mix until no streaks of flour remain. Do not over mix.
Scoop 2 tablespoons of batter into each muffin cup and bake for 15 minutes until a crust has fully formed on the tops of the brownie bites and toothpick inserted into brownies comes out with crumbs and still a just little wet. Allow brownies to cool until just barely warm to the touch and then remove from the pan to a baking rack to cool completely. If brownie bites do not remove easily from the pan, gently go around the edges of each one with a butter or paring knife to loosen them before removing.
For the brown sugar sauce:
While the brownies are cooling, in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine cream, 1/2 stick butter, brown sugar, and water. Stir over medium heat until the mixture is completely smooth and no gritty texture from the sugar remains, about 5 to 7 minutes. Be careful not to boil this mixture as it will change the flavor from brown sugar to caramel, which while still delicious, is not today’s goal. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
For the buttercream:
In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream 1 cup butter until butter is light in color and completely smooth, about 30 seconds. Starting on low and gradually increasing the speed, add confectioners’ sugar one cup at a time. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the brown sugar sauce, vanilla, and salt. Beat the buttercream mixture until it is smooth and light, stopping once or twice to scrape down the bowl, about 5 minutes. Buttercream will first appear to soften and then stiffen and increase in volume.
Using a small spatula or a pastry bag fitted with a star tip, frost the tops of the brownies. Sprinkle tops with salt if using.
Makes 24 brownie bites