Small Batch Cosmic Brownies

September 29, 2020

Indulgent. Decadent. Rich AF. As a Taurus, these brownies speak to me on a very deep level. They are fudgy, with a robust chocolate flavor that isn’t too sweet. And best of all, they come together super fast - by the time my oven had preheated, these bad boys were ready to pop right in. You can make the ganache while the brownies bake and then plop it right on the freshly baked brownies. But then comes the hardest part...waiting for them to cool. 

But the best BEST part? This small batch version is perfect for weeknight baking. Just enough to pick you up after a long day at work. You don’t have to share if you don’t want to. 

And let’s not forget about the nostalgia factor. These are, of course, inspired by Little Debbie’s Cosmic Brownies. So they wouldn’t be complete without a smattering of brightly colored rainbow chips. These aren’t sprinkles, per se, but candy coated mini chocolate chips. The perfect toppers to these sweet treats. 

recipe

Inspired by Love & Olive Oil’s Cosmic Brownies

Ganache adapted from Baker Bettie’s ganache process

Time 40 min, plus 2 hours for cooling

Quantity: 8 brownies

Ingredients:

Brownie Batter

• 28 g (2 tablespoons or 1/4 stick) butter

• 63 g (2.25 oz) dark chocolate, coarsely chopped or break into large chunks

• 13 g (2 1/2 tablespoons) cocoa powder

• 35g (1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons) all-purpose flour

• Dash (1/16 teaspoon) baking powder

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1 large egg

• 30 g (2 and 1/2 tablespoons) vegetable oil (or other neutral oil)

• 50 g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar

• 50 g (1/4 cup, packed) light or dark brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Ganache

• 126 g (4 oz) dark chocolate

• 56 g (2 oz or 1/4 cup) heavy cream

• 1/2 tablespoon butter

• Splash of vanilla

• Dash of salt

Rainbow chip sprinkles

Process:

Brownies

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Line a 1/8 sheet pan with parchment, leaving part of the parchment to slightly hang over the sides. This will make it easier to lift the brownies out of the pan once they’ve cooled. You can also use a loaf pan.

3. Spray the parchment lightly with non-stick spray. Set aside. 

4. Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. 

5. Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler (a double boiler is when you place a glass or metal bowl over a pot of simmering water, taking care that the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the pot). You can also melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave in short bursts, stirring between each burst. 

6. Once the chocolate is melted, remove from heat and add granulate and brown sugar. Mix to combine. 

7. Add oil and vanilla and mix to combine. At this point, the mixture should be cool enough to add your egg, but if you’re worried about, let it cool for a couple of more minutes before adding the egg. Once the egg is mixed in, add the dry ingredients, stirring until just incorporated.   

8. Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. 

9. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs on the end. 

10. Cool on a wire rack while you prepare your ganache.  

Ganache 

1. Chop chocolate into small pieces and set aside.

2. Place cream in a small microwave-safe bowl. Add vanilla and salt. Microwave for 60 seconds. 

3. Place the chopped chocolate and butter into the bowl with the cream and let stand for about 3 minutes. 

4. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.

5. If necessary, microwave in 15 second bursts until the chocolate has completely melted and the mixture is a pudding like consistency

Assemble

1. Pour the ganache over the top of the brownies and smooth with an offset spatula. 

2. Sprinkle with rainbow chips. 

3. Set aside to cool until the ganache has set - about 2 hours.

Tips:

• I LOVE my 1/8 sheet pan. It’s so versatile and great for small batch baking. I love making small slab pies in it. You can find them here.

• If you don’t have rainbow chips, use whatever sprinkles you have. Rainbow chips can be found here or here. 

• The ganache can be spread onto the brownies while they are still quite warm. 

• If you don’t want to wait two hours for the ganache to set, you can pop the brownies into the fridge. But you’ll likely lose the glossy shine of the ganache. 

• These brownies are quite fudgy, so in order to get clean cuts, be sure to warm your knife with hot water between each cut and do not slice. Instead, push the knife down and then lift it straight up. Otherwise the brownie will stick to the knife as you drag it through.