We love chocolate. And we love brownies. We made these chocolate brownies using a heart-shaped mold to show our love.
Now you may be thinking how are chocolate brownies on the Mediterranean diet? Well, that’s part of the reason we call this website “Mostly” Mediterranean. We love Mediterranean food, but we also love to cook outside the box.
The beauty of the Mediterranean diet is that you don’t have to deny yourself anything. When you eat a daily diet full of fresh vegetables and fruits, healthy fats, and whole grains, you can indulge from time to time. The Mediterranean diet is a life full of moderate indulgences.
These brownies are a perfect size to treat yourself without overdoing it. The recipe below tells you how to make this recipe in one pan, along with directions if you want to use the small heart-shaped silicone molds that we used.
Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup unsweeted cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Butter and flour an 8-inch square pan.
- In a large saucepan, slowly melt the butter, careful not to let it bubble. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and vanilla until blended.
- Add cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder, and blend until smooth.
- Pour into cake pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
Notes
- Test for doneness by poking the center with a toothpick and see if it comes out clean.
- I used two 4-cavity heart-shaped silicone molds. If you use a silicone mold, put them on a baking sheet and then in the oven. Don’t put them directly on the oven rack.
- Baking in the heart-shaped pans took 25 minutes.
How long will these stay fresh? I want to make a few batches for Valentines Day but need to make a few days in advance. Thanks so much!
They’ll keep for 3-4 days. You could also freeze them, and thaw them out on Valentine’s Day.
Substitute ideas for the sugar in this recipe?
How many brownies does this recipe make?
I’m using a butterfly mold instead of a heart one.
I don’t know how large the cavities of your butterfly mold are, but when I make the heart-shaped brownies, it makes 8. When I use the 8-inch square pan, I cut the brownies into 16. It’s basically enough batter to make one 8-inch cake pan. I hope this helps.
How long do you let the brownies cook before popping them out of the molds? I would like to do these but have never baked with silicone before and don’t want to mess them up. Thanks!
The brownies bake for 25-30 minutes in a full pan. If you use the heart-shaped mold that I have, they take about 25 minutes. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before you try to pop them out. It’s really easy to release cakes from a silicone mold. Enjoy!
Did you spray your heart molds,or butter the bottom?
It’s not necessary with silicone molds, the brownies pop right out. Sometimes I make these in a regular cake pan and then I use butter. I hope you enjoy them.