Valentine Brownie Pops

Note you will also need 6 standard size lollipop sticks and a 3-inch wide heart-shaped cookie cutter. Or you can use a non-stick pan with 6 similar-sized heart molds if you have one.

Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease and line a 9×9 inch pan or a baking tin with 6 heart shaped cavities.

Place the chocolate and butter into a heatproof bowl and place in the microwave to melt, 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between to ensure the mixture doesn’t burn. Leave to one side.

Place the eggs, vanilla and brown sugar into a large bowl and whisk by hand until well combined and slightly frothy. Leave to one side.

Place the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a medium sized bowl and mix with a spoon until everything is incorporated and you don’t have lumps of cocoa powder.

Pour the melted chocolate mixture into your egg mixture and whisk until well combined and smooth. Add your flour mix and mix until just combined and smooth. Don’t beat or over-mix.

Pour the mixture into your lined baking pan, or divide the batter between your heart shaped holes, filling them almost level.

For a 9×9 pan: Place in the oven for 22-27 minutes until slightly risen, a little puffy and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with just a few crumbs on. The top will look slightly crackly as well.

For a heart-shaped pan: Place in oven for 12-16 minutes until slightly risen, a little puffy and an inserted skewer comes out with just a few crumbs on it.

Leave to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cooled (if you made a 9×9 inch pan) use your cookie cutter to cut as many hearts from your brownies as possible. Leave to one side.

Place white chocolate into a large heatproof bowl and place in the microwave, in 20 second increments, stirring in between, until melted.

Take one of your lollipop sticks and dip the end into your bowl of melted chocolate, then push the lollipop stick through the bottom of the heart and up into the brownie, leaving around 4 inches outside of the brownie, so you can hold them! Repeat for all your brownies.

Take one brownie at a time and dip into the bowl of melted chocolate, then spoon chocolate all over your brownie pop until it’s covered. Turn the pop back upright and let excess chocolate drip off.

You can either place them flat onto a wire rack to set if you don’t mind there being lines in one side of your chocolate, or use the squares in your wire rack and place the lollipop stick into one of the squares and place something (I used a clip-lid container) behind the pop to prop it up straight.

Sprinkle decorations/non-pareils over each brownie pop as desired and then leave the chocolate to set for at least an hour.

Once set, place in little confectionery bags if you want, or keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Brownie pops will keep for 3 days.