I have the most amazing raspberry patch, and one of our favorite things to do in the summer is hunt for big, red, juicy berries until our arms are all scratched and our faces are stained. If I’m fast enough to get to the plants before my kids I can usually pick enough to freeze and preserve for the winter. Then during the long, cold months I can pull them out and get the taste of summer while watching it snow outside.

Well it was snowing outside today, and the raspberries came out. I decided to pair them with chocolate, and the result was pretty wonderful. They looked stunning first of all. The pink raspberry frosting contrasted nicely with the dark brown chocolate. They were destined for a youth group activity, so I plated them on a white cake stand to serve. Guests reacted instantly as they walked in the door and saw the refreshment table. There were oohs and ahhs, and “Is it time to eat yet’s.” That’s what I love to hear when I’m the chef.

Brownie Bites

The recipe was pretty simple. I started with a simple brownie mix.  I’ve tried many brownie recipes from scratch, but I love Betty Crocker’s Fudge brownies the best. Once I mixed the batter according to the instructions, I pulled out my mini muffin tin and sprayed each muffin hole with non-stick spray. Then I filled the holes 2/3 of the way with batter. I baked the bites for 12 minutes at 350 degrees. Once I pulled them out of the oven I had to wait until they had cooled to take them out of the pan. If I’m still having trouble getting them out I will put the pan in the freezer for a few minutes to harden the brownies and then pop them out with a butter knife.  Once the brownie bites were out and cooled completely I topped them with a Raspberry Buttercream frosting.

Raspberry Buttercream

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Butter (Softened)
2 1/2 – 3 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 Tbsp Milk
1/4 Cup Frozen Raspberries, thawed and drained

Beat the butter in a mixing bowl until creamy and smooth. Add in the raspberries and vanilla. Mix well. Then add in the powdered sugar and milk until the desired consistency is achieved. Pipe the frosting onto the brownie bites, and prepare to share the recipe because people are going to ask.