Something for Valentine's Day

Brownie Buttons
Baking: From My Home to Yours Copyright 2006

zest of 1/2 of an orange (optional) I didn't use this
1 tsp sugar (if using zest)
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
Pinch of Salt
4 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/2 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you’re using orange zest, combine the zest and sugar in a small bowl, rubbing them between your fingertips to blend; set aside. Whisk together the flour and salt.
2. Melt butter, chocolate, and brown sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over very low hear, stirring frequently with a heatproof spatula and keeping an eye on the pan so nothing overheats or burns. When the mixture is smooth, remove from heat and cool for a minute or two. 3. Sir the vanilla, egg, and the zest, if you’re using it, into the chocolate mixture. When the mixture is well blended, add the flour and stir only until it is incorporated. You should have a smooth, glossy batter.
4. Spoon the batter into 16 buttered mini muffin cups (I used liners), using about a teaspoon of batter to fill each cup three-quarters full. Fill each empty muffin cup with 1 tsp water.
5. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until the top spring back when touched. Cool for 3 minutes and then transfer out of the pan to a wire rack to cool fully.

Optional Glaze
1. Melt chocolate in a small heatproof bowl over a saucepan of water. Stir constantly and don’t leave chocolate unattended as white chocolate scorches very easily.
2. One by one, dip the tops of the buttons into the chocolate, twirling the buttons so that you get a little swirl at the center of each one and excess chocolate drips back into the bowl. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to set the glaze.

Makes 16. She wasn't kidding, I made exactly 16.
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I've had these mini-cupcake liners in the cupboard taunting me for some time. I didn't want Valentine's Day to pass me by again so I got to work. I found this recipe in Dorie's masterpiece.

This recipe is a keeper. These are wonderful fudgy little bites and the glaze and sugar pearls made them almost candy-like. They were so easy to make and they don't make a lot which is actually a plus. I'm trying to behave myself. Five of these will go in my son's lunch this week and that only left 11 of them for us to snack on. These truly are brownie 'buttons' (they're quite small) so they come with built-in portion control, perfect when you're trying to be good.

Question of the Day: Do you have anything special planned for Valentine's Day?