Double Chocolate Brownie Cups with Honeyed Berries and Cream

Sharing the decadent chocolate dessert I created for my Mother’s Day in self-isolation.

Now more than ever, I have an insatiable craving for comfort foods. This past Mother’s day I was in charge of the menu, as usual, and knew what I was going to have for dessert before anything else; something chocolate-y, rich, and topped with mixed berries and cream. A combination of some of my favorite comfort food flavors, and yet elegant enough to really feel special on that most special of days. After all, if I can’t go out to eat I may as well make something that tastes as though It came from a high-end patisserie! Which is precisely what I got with this dish. Similar to a chocolate tartlet, but I thought I’d take it up a notch by using a brownie as a cup to hold the rich, bittersweet ganache for that extra punch. It looks rustic, approachable, decadent, yet reminiscent of the chocolate sundae’s enjoyed as a child, but take one bite and you’re transported to that five-star afternoon tea you had in London that you still dream about to this day, two years later. Slightly specific, but I digress. Give this unassuming dessert a try when you’re in the mood for a true confectionery treat!

From start to finish the recipe was incredibly easy, even with the main components being from scratch, and both my girls and I had fun loading up our ganache-filled brownies with the fruits, ice cream, and other goodies! Though the recipe only makes nine brownie cups, I still feel this would make an awesome DIY dessert station at a dinner party, birthday party, or any occasion where you’re baking for chocolate lovers! Toppings could include anything you normally put on an ice cream sundae, from broken cookie pieces, fruits, nuts, crushed waffle cones, sprinkles, or caramel sauce. All good things, and who doesn’t love building their own dessert?!

I’ve shared the recipe and method below that I used, but definitely have fun with it! As always, leave a comment if you’ve tried it!

While brownies bake, rinse berries and chopping strawberries so that they are the same size as the blueberries and raspberries. Drizzle with honey, roughly eyeball 1 tbsp. Toss then refrigerate until needed. Remember to frequently check brownies, as to not over bake them! Pull out of the oven as soon as they’ve just cooked through – do the toothpick or knife in the center test.

Once brownies have cooled for about 5 minutes, use a pestle or other object about this size to press the centers of the brownies down to form a cup shape. Leave bottom and sides thick enough so that the ganache doesn’t spill out in the next step.

While brownies are cooling to room temperature on a rack, prepare the ganache by chopping the chocolate, placing it in a heatproof bowl, then heating the cream over medium heat just until bubbles start to show. Carefully pour hot cream over chocolate and let sit for as much as one minute, then begin to stir. Stir until both ingredients are completely combined and ganache has cooled a little bit. It should have the consistency of natural peanut butter.

Use a tablespoon to fill brownie cups with ganache, filling to the top, and let sit for a while until ganache has set.

Once ganache has set, prepare your toppings and have at it! Most of the toppings will end up on the side of the brownie cup and that’s ok! Messy desserts are better anyway!

Recipe & Instructions

Mia’s Double Chocolate Brownie Cups with Honeyed Berries & Cream

Ingredients

• 1 recipe for your favorite brownies (this is mine), or boxed mix.
• 4 oz. bar of bittersweet (or semisweet if you prefer) chocolate baking bar.
• 1/2 cup heavy cream.
• Fruit: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries.
• 1 tbsp honey
• Favorite vanilla bean ice cream (mine is Haagen Dazs).
• Whipped cream (I used store-bought but homemade would work).

Instructions

~ Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare 12 cup muffin pan with liners and grease liners. Prepare brownies according to their instructions and spoon into muffin pan until ¾ of the way full. Should fill 9 cups; pour water in the remaining 3 cups. Bake for about 25 minutes, watching carefully! Once centers are no longer jiggly, test with toothpick or knife and remove from oven as soon as centers are set. Let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then use pestle, end of a spatula, or 1inch round object to press the centers of the brownies down. Be gentle and only push down about a half-inch (you want a cup, not a tube). Remove from pan to finish cooling.

~ Prepare ganache. Roughly chop chocolate bar and place into small heat-proof bowl. Set small saucepan over medium heat and bring cream just to a simmer – it will first steam then simmer – stir constantly and remove as soon as bubbles start to show. Carefully pour over chopped chocolate and let sit for 1 minute. Stir cream and chocolate together until completely blended and let cool for 2 minutes, but do not let it harden. Use a tablespoon to pour into brownie cups, then let harden for an hour or more.

~ Top with favorite ingredients: fruits, ice cream, whipped cream, chopped pecans, etc.

If you’ve tried this, leave a comment letting me know what toppings you used and how you liked it!

xo, Mia