One-Bowl Mini Football Brownies
If there's one dessert I know will always hit at a party, it's brownies. That's why these mini football brownies are my go-to dessert for watch parties, Super Bowl, and tailgating! They're extra chewy, full of chocolate, and bite-sized for easy grabbing.
Ingredients
Chewy Brownies
- 170 grams unsalted butter, sliced into chunks (3/4 cup)
- 114 grams bittersweet chocolate, chopped (4 ounces)
- 72 grams Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted (3/4 cup)
- 150 grams granulated sugar (3/4 cup)
- 158 grams dark brown sugar, packed (3/4 cup)
- 60 grams neutral oil like canola, vegetable, or avocado (1/4 cup)
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 80 grams all-purpose flour (2/3 cup)
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
Vanilla Buttercream
- 60 grams unsalted butter, softened (1/4 cup)
- 120 grams powdered sugar, sifted (1 cup)
- 15 milliliters whole milk plus more as needed (1 Tablespoon)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of Kosher salt
Equipment
- Kitchen scale (or measuring cups)
- Parchment paper
- Wilton tip #2
Instructions
Chewy Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9x13'' baking dish with butter or baking spray and line the pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang.
- Add the butter and bittersweet chocolate to a large, microwave-safe mixing bowl. Melt the butter and chocolate together in 30-second increments, stirring with a rubber spatula in-between, until it's smooth and fully melted.
- Add the sifted cocoa powder. Using a hand mixer, beat the mixture until it's very smooth. Then, add the sugar and brown sugar. Beat until the sugar is very well combined and starting to dissolve, about 2-3 minutes. (It won't dissolve all the way.)
- Stir in the neutral oil, espresso powder (if using), and vanilla extract. Then, add the eggs one at a time. Turn the mixer to high and beat the chocolate mixture until it's lightened in color and texture, about 3-4 minutes.
- Fold the flour and salt into the chocolate mixture, stirring just until there are no more streaks of flour. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared 9x13 pan.
- Bake the brownies for 16-20 minutes, until the edges are set and the center is still a bit underdone. To test if the brownies are done, insert a toothpick into the area in-between the edges and center of the brownies. If the toothpick has just a few moist crumbs, they're ready to go.
- Let the brownies cool completely at room temperature. Then, cover and refrigerate the brownies for 1-2 hours (optional but highly recommended for extra easy slicing). Using the edges of the parchment paper, remove the brownies from the pan.
- Grease the mini football cookie cutter and use it to cut out as many brownies as you can. Wipe the cutter in-between slices to prevent the edges from getting crumby, which can cause the brownies to fall apart. You should get about 40 brownies total.
Vanilla Buttercream
- Add the unsalted butter and half of the powdered sugar to a medium mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat the butter and powdered sugar until it's fluffy. Add the remaining powdered sugar and beat until the frosting is smooth.
- Add the milk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Turn the mixer to high and whip the frosting until it's super light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. (Fluffy frosting is much easier to pipe.) If the frosting is too thick, add more milk 1 teaspoon at a time.
Decorating the Brownies
- Fit a piping bag with a small round piping tip. I used Wilton tip #2. Fill the piping bag with the vanilla buttercream.
- Working one brownie at a time, pipe a long horizontal line across the football. Then, flip the brownie 90° and pipe 3 vertical lines across the horizontal line to create the laces. (See the post for visuals.) Repeat this process with the remaining brownies and enjoy!
Notes
To make sure the brownies come out amazing every time, I highly recommend weighing the ingredients with a scale instead of using measuring cups. If you don't have a scale, make sure you're using the fluff-scoop-level method for the flour and cocoa powder. Start by fluffing the flour or cocoa with a whisk. Then, spoon the fluffed flour or cocoa into a measuring cup and level it off without packing it in.
If you don't have brown sugar, granulated sugar works too. Omit the brown sugar and use 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) of white sugar instead.
Use good quality chocolate and cocoa powder for the best brownies. I like Guittard and Ghirardelli.
Don't overheat the butter and chocolate, or the chocolate will seize and become grainy. I like to microwave it for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in-between, until the mixture is hot and smooth.
If the brownies are sticking inside the cookie cutter, use your fingers to very gently press them out. Greasing the cookie cutter, cutting the brownies cold, and wiping the cookie cutter in-between slices should make the process easier.
Don't throw away all those brownie scraps! They're delicious with a scoop of ice cream, in a trifle, or dipped in chocolate fondue. You can also pop them in a zipper bag and freeze them for another time.
Serving: 1mini brownie, Calories: 77kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 0.8g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 24mg, Potassium: 36mg, Fiber: 0.6g, Sugar: 6g, Iron: 0.4mg
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