Valentine’s Day is right around the corner so what better way to treat your sweetheart than to some lovingly home made sweets! We’ll be offering up some recipes and tutorials that show you how you can create some delicious treats to impress your Valentine with. This week’s Shot Through The Heart Brownie Cupcakes are the perfect treats to present to your loved one. They are chocolate crammed brownie cupcakes swirled with silky smooth chocolate buttercream and finished with adorable and fun brownie hearts shot with mini arrows! Nestle these into a cupcake gift box with a little message and you will definitely sweeten someone’s day!
Brownie Cupcakes (Makes approx. 12 cupcakes)
226g self raising flour
226g caster sugar
226g butter
4 medium eggs
2/3 tablespoons cocoa powder
100g melted dark chocolate callets, baking chips
12 baking cases
1 cupcake or muffin pan
2 tablespoons hot water
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pre-heat your oven to Gas Mark 3 / 160C / 325F and line a cupcake pan with cupcake cases.
Cream your butter and sugar first. When creamy add your eggs and combine together with the flour and baking powder. Mix well until silky and pour in the melted chocolate and make a paste with the cocoa powder and water then add, mix again and fill your cases with the batter.
Bake for around 20 minutes to 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean when tested.
Chocolate Buttercream
250g butter
250-300g icing sugar (keep testing when adding to make sure it is the consistency and sweetness you are comfortable with)
100g melted dark chocolate callets, buttons or chips
1-2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
808 or 809 plain round piping tip
Disposable piping bag
Dice the butter and add to your mixer to cream. Then gradually add icing sugar and the remaining butter (cut into cubes) until you get a smooth, creamy texture. Add the cocoa powder and melted chocolate.
For more hints and tips see our tutorial on how to make buttercream here.
Mini Chocolate Brownie Hearts
200g chopped milk chocolate
175g self raising flour
100g butter
100g caster sugar
3 eggs
Melt the chocolate and butter together by setting a bowl in a saucepan of hot water. Keep stirring until both the butter and the chocolate are mixed and then remove the pan from the heat.
In a separate bowl mix the eggs and the sugar together until they form a creamy yellow colour.
Combine the chocolate and butter mix with the eggs and sugar and stir until fully mix.
Add the flour to the mix and stir. Mix until smooth until you get a thick and sticky texture (if you would like any chocolate chips or chunks in your brownies now is the perfect time to add them)
Pour the batter into a greased pan and bake for around 30 minutes (depending on oven) on gas mark 4 (conversions are available on Google) Leave to cool.
Once cooled cut out some hearts using a good heart shaped cutter. Remember to use a small cutter if using these to top your cupcakes with!
Cupid’s Arrows
12 toothpicks
Thick paper or card (this can be coloured or plain) or heart stickers
Scissors
Double sided tape (omit this if you are using stickers)
Cut matching triangles from some paper (around 24 for the backs and fronts). Stick small patches of double sided tape to the backs of them. To attach peel the tape backing off and press onto one end of a toothpick. Repeat this process until done.
Once the arrowheads have been created and fixed on push the toothpick carefully through your mini brownie hearts at an angle. Then you can finished them!
For the ‘feather’ ends of the arrows cut 24 rectangles out of paper or card. Snip the sides of them so that they are angled. Attached them to the toothpicks with double sided tape. Finally, carefully snip the sides to create ‘feather-like’ edging! We also added a little ribbon bow to our arrow.
Now to assemble your cupcakes generously pipe them with buttercream and adorn the tops with your brownie hearts and cupid’s arrows! You should finally be left with a batch of delicious and heart warming cupcakes ready to be admired for Valentine’s Day!
