White and Dark Hearted Brownies

I found this recipe when looking for a really tasty brownie for a friend who was in the hospital. Nothing says "Get Well Soon!" like a big plate of brownies. I came across these at Smitten Kitchen and fell in love. They are not only the cutest little brownies I have ever seen, but they had the perfect sentiment.

I was a bit hesitant about the white chocolate brownies because I'm not a huge white chocolate fan. However, these were really good....amazingly good even. Don't tell anyone, but I actually think I liked them better than the dark chocolate brownies. Maybe it was because they had a little dark chcolate heart belly, but the combination of flavors was out of this world. I also loved that they still remained very much a "brownie" to me - rich and chewy, the way a good brownie should be.

I hope you try it soon - and feel free to make the bellies whatever mini shape you have - I think these would be a very welcomed non-green treat for St. Patty's Day and little shamrocks would be irresistible!

White and Dark Hearted Brownies

**This recipe makes 16 2-inch square white or dark chocolate brownies. To make a pan of each and reverse the middles, you’ll need double the ingredients listed below. You will end up with 32 reversed-center brownies.

4 ounces (this was 1 bar for me) semisweet or good white chocolate (I used Ghirardelli for both), coarsely chopped

1 stick unsalted butter

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1-inch heart or other shaped cookie cutter

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over opposite sides of pan. Repeat with second piece of foil in opposite direction. Grease the foil.

Melt white or dark chocolate and butter together in a large bowl over a simmering pot of water until it is melted; remove from heat and stir the mixture until it is smooth.

Whisk in sugar. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Add flour and salt together, stirring until just combined. Spread into prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes (for the dark chocolate version) and 30 to 35 minutes (for the white chocolate version).

Repeat this recipe with the other kind of chocolate and a second 8×8-inch square pan. Cool pans on a wire rack in the freezer if you’re going to make cut-outs; frozen brownies are much easier to make clean cuts from. Once solid, transfer brownies in their foil “sling” to a large cutting board and cut each pan of brownies into 16 even squares, about 2×2 inches each.

Still cold (and if they warm up and soften too quickly, pop them back in the freezer for 5 minutes), carefully, slowly, gently, press your cookie cutter into the center of each brownie and set the cut-out aside. Insert the dark cut-outs into the centers of the light brownies, and vice-versa. From here, you can let them warm up to room temperature or wrap them up in the freezer until you will need them.

adapted very slightly from Smitten Kitchen