Description
Teddy Bear Brownies combine rich, fudgy chocolate brownies with adorable teddy bear-shaped cookies, creating a delightful Valentine’s Day treat. This recipe features a double bake method—first crafting moist, chocolatey brownies, then baking sweet, oat-enhanced teddy bear cookies. The final step assembles these components into charming, decorated desserts with ruby chocolate hearts, perfect for sharing with loved ones.
Ingredients
Scale
Brownies
- 4 oz Dark Chocolate
- 3/4 stick Unsalted Butter
- 2/3 cup Light Brown Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Instant Espresso Powder (optional)
Teddy Bear Cookies
- 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 cup Quick Cooking Oats
- 1 tsp Ground Flaxseed
- 2.5 tsp Water
- 1.5 tbsp Light Brown Sugar
- 1 pinch Salt
- Unsalted Butter (amount sufficient for mixing the dough, estimate about 3 tbsp melted)
Decoration
- Ruby Chocolate Hearts
- Melted Chocolate (for attaching cookies to brownies)
Instructions
- Brownie Preparation: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Melt Chocolate: Using a double boiler, melt the dark chocolate and butter together, stirring occasionally until smooth. Let it cool slightly to avoid cooking the eggs in the next step.
- Combine Eggs and Sugar: In a large bowl, beat the eggs and light brown sugar until the mixture becomes thick and pale, ensuring a light and airy texture.
- Mix Ingredients: Gently pour the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg and sugar blend. Stir to combine, then fold in the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, salt, and optional instant espresso powder just until incorporated to avoid overmixing.
- Bake Brownies: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for approximately 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.
- Cool Brownies: Remove from the oven and allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack to set properly before decorating.
- Teddy Bear Cookies Preparation: Reduce oven temperature to 320°F (160°C). In a separate bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, oats, ground flaxseed, light brown sugar, and a pinch of salt.
- Form Dough: Incorporate melted butter and water into the dry ingredients, stirring until a firm dough forms. Shape the dough into teddy bear figures and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the teddy bear cookies for about 25 minutes or until they are golden brown and firm to the touch.
- Cool Cookies: Let the teddy bear cookies cool completely on a wire rack.
- Assembly: Melt additional chocolate to use as glue. Attach each teddy bear cookie onto the cooled brownies using the melted chocolate. Decorate the assembled treats with ruby chocolate hearts for a festive appearance.
Notes
- Use semi-sweet chocolate as a substitute if dark chocolate is unavailable.
- For a vegan option, substitute eggs with flax eggs made by mixing 1 tbsp ground flaxseed with 2.5 tbsp water per egg and use vegan butter.
- Gluten-free flour blends can replace all-purpose flour for gluten-free brownies and cookies.
- Instant espresso powder is optional but enhances the depth of chocolate flavor.
- Blitz old-fashioned oats in a food processor if quick cooking oats are not available.
- Ensure brownies are completely cooled before attaching teddy bear cookies to prevent melting.
