Brownie Petit Fours
- Cookies and Bars
Do you ever find yourself in the muck of life? Like you’re covered up in junk that you desperately just need to shake off and get free from? Maybe you’re wanting a clean slate or reset from the routine of heaviness and difficulty that you you find yourself in? Well, count me as a member in your crew because I’ve been there, and I think someone out there needs some encouragement and a little self-love in the form of these brownie petit fours.
I’m not sure this blog is the place to dive deep into difficult circ*mstances. Everyone’s story is unique, and your issues and the solutions for those issues are entirely different from mine. Call it hormones, call it a funk, or blame it all on spiritual oppression, but I’ve 100% been there recently, so I do feel it’s worth mentioning. In recent weeks, I wasn’t really feeling myself, my story, or the seat I had at the table, and it was just kinda… sad. You know what I’m talking about, right? We’re all there sometimes.
Thank God for friends who call it like it is and encourage us to get to where we need to be.
We’re typically no stronger than the backs of the crew we lean on when things feel hard. I’m thankful to have some of the most supportive and wise women this world has to offer on speed dial. Now, a month or so out from whatever that funk was, I’m working on learning to really love myself and take better care of all my parts.
Lately, an extra-long walk or some form of exercise has felt like loving myself. A glass of wine (without a side of guilt!) or a few more minutes in the shower feels like loving myself. Even just shushing all the self-doubt and criticism long enough to really appreciate the person I am, the person I was created to be, feels like a step in the right direction. Like, “Hi! I’m Kate Wood, and I’m not a complete disaster. I’m fearfully and wonderfully made! I have really good things to offer the world!”
I don’t know who out there needs to know that they’re awesome, but here it is: You Are Great. You’re deserving of any reset or fresh start you might feel like you need. Lean on the people who love you well. Get comfortable with loving yourself. Self-love will look differently for you than it does for me, but I’d encourage you to take time to truly appreciate yourself. And if you’re here on this site, I have a feeling that self-love might include indulging in these brownie petit fours. Just maybe.
These brownie petit fours aren’t entirely practical. Practical is a 9″x13″ pan filled with a baked box mix of brownies. Practical is eating them one by one from the pan until it’s gone. These brownie petit fours are not practical- they’re EXTRA. They’re cute and fancy and feel like the type of food reserved for special occasions, and guess what: YOU ARE DESERVING OF SUCH THINGS. So today we’re making them. Let me give you the details.
To start, I’ve taken the super-rich, ultra-fudgy brownie base from my brownie ice cream sandwiches, and we bake them in the oven until baked through and chewy. Allow the brownies to cool completely and then pop them in the freezer while you make your ganache. Here’s where things get fancy: with the same brownies and ganache you can make two different types of brownie petit fours. The first option is a tiny bite-sized round of brownie with a drippy ganache glaze poured on top. The ganache firms up and forms a soft chocolate coating around the outside- YUM. Option number two is a slightly larger, double-stacked brownie with thick ganache piped on each layer. The result is a fancy tiered treat best shared with another person or eaten proudly by oneself. Either way, these brownie petit fours are altogether fab and worthwhile. You should totally make them.
I hope today wasn’t TMI. I know you guys come here for breads and cookies and cakes (not my own personal sob stories!), but I also feel like someone out there needs a hug and a little encouragement. Regardless, I hope you love yourself (or someone else!) by making these little brownie petit fours. Happy baking and have a great weekend!
If you like these brownie petit fours you should try:
Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Brookies (Brownie Cookie Bars)
Peppermint Bark Brownies
Pretzel Shortbread Peanut Butter Brownies
Mint Brownie Ice Cream Cake
Brownie Petit Fours
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4.5 from 6 reviews
Make brownie petit fours with chocolate ganache in two ways!
- Author: Kate Wood
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: Depends on Size of Brownies
- Category: Brownies
Ingredients
For the brownies:
- 4 ounces (about ¾ cup of chips) semisweet chocolate, chopped
- ¾ cup (12 T or 165 gm) unsalted butter
- ¾ cup (150 gm) sugar
- ½ cup (100 gm) light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1–1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (140 gm) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (65 gm) cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
For the ganache:
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped or in morsels
- ¾ cup (6 ounces) heavy whipping cream
- Fleur de sel, for sprinkling
Instructions
To prepare the brownies:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line one quarter sheet pan (or one 9”x13” pans) with foil that extends up the sides and grease with baking spray. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, gently heat the chocolate and butter, stirring regularly, just until barely melted. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and whisk in the sugar and brown sugar. Whisk in the eggs and the vanilla extract. Scrape the sides of the bowl and then fold in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Spread the batter evenly in the pan and bake in the preheated oven for about 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted only comes out with a few moist crumbs. Set aside to cool completely.
- When ready to prepare your petit fours, place the chocolate in a heat-safe bowl. Gently warm the cream in the microwave or on the stovetop until it is almost ready to begin bubbling. Pour the warm cream over the chocolate and whisk to combine until smooth. Gently heat in the microwave in 15 second increments until melted as needed.
- If you wish to make the tiny bite-sized chocolate-coated petit fours, use a tiny biscuit cutter or sturdy round cutter about 1 to 1-1/4” in size to trim out rounds from your cooled brownies. I prefer to freeze the brownies for about an hour prior to cutting to make the cutting easier. For larger stacked petit fours, use a 1-3/4 to 2” cutter to trim out rounds.
- For the tiny petit fours, place the small brownies on a cookie sheet set over a large bowl and spoon the warm liquid ganache over top. Use a fork to transfer the covered petit fours onto a baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper. Allow to set up slightly before sprinkling with a bit of fleur de sel.
- For the large stacked petit fours, allow the ganache to set up slightly either on the counter or in the fridge until it turns into a slightly thickened but still pipeable fudgy consistency. Place the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a round tip and squeeze dollops into the center of each brownie round. Top one brownie with another and sprinkle the tops of each stack with sea salt, sprinkles, or whatever! Enjoy at room temperature!
35 thoughts on “Brownie Petit Fours”
Anonymous
December 8, 2023 at 8:52 PM
Mine were way thinner than the ones in your images. I baked them a little less, but they still came out seeming overdone, more cookieish than cake. What size baking sheet did you use?
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Jan
April 14, 2023 at 9:45 AM
Do the cut brownie portions freeze well? Also, if I were to add finely chopped dried Cherries to the brownies would that be problematic? How many of each size do you get out of a quarter sheet? Have you ever doubled the recipe and baked in a half sheet pan?
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J. R-G
July 2, 2022 at 12:13 AM
This is one of my favorite dessert recipes! I have made it four or five times now and it’s a hit every time. Looks fancy, tastes amazing. Bonus: It’s a straight-forward recipe and has a simple set-up so I can even make the brownie portion with my toddler helping. Double bonus: Easy and totally unnoticeable gluten-free swap with Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour. Triple Bonus: I made the ganache with peppermint extract around the holidays and it was also delicious.
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Jan
April 13, 2023 at 11:54 PM
I can see that you are quite familiar with this recipe. Do you think I can cut out my shapes and freeze them for a few weeks?
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Lola
December 20, 2021 at 11:32 PM
It looks like there is a mistake in the recipe, 4 ounces is not equal to 3/4 cup chocolate chips!! Is that correct?
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Juliann
May 10, 2021 at 7:40 AM
Hi there- think these would be okay to make the day before? Hoping to make the stacked ones for a baby shower. Thank you!
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Livina Tan
June 16, 2020 at 11:10 AM
Hi, Kate! May I know why do you use sugar and brown sugar? What’s the different (in the recipes) between brownie as in a whole pan and cookie?
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Seema
May 13, 2020 at 4:50 AM
Hi Kate, these are absolutely gorgeous! You have mentioned about lining the tin with foil. Can I use parchment instead. Will it make any difference to the bake? Thanks:)
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Kate
June 9, 2020 at 6:37 AM
parchment is just fine!! 🙂
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November 12, 2019 at 5:04 PM
I haven’t tried this recipe yet but it looks delicious and fairly easy..
Love your style of writing .. just found you on insta tonight ♥️Reply
Kate
November 13, 2019 at 5:15 AM
Thank you Briony!!
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Jenifer
November 9, 2019 at 7:30 AM
Good morning! These looks delicious! 2 quick questions–step 2 mentions dark chocolate, but the recipe calls for semisweet, which should I use? Also, step 3 is blank–is anything missing?
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Kate
November 13, 2019 at 5:17 AM
Forgive me! I initially was using dark chocolate in the recipe and then switched to semisweet. 🙂 Adjustment made in recipe. 🙂
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Elaine Fleck
November 8, 2019 at 5:54 PM
Not just the recipe, the writing as usual is a piece of art. Thanks for sharing this bit of yourself which we can all relate to. I find baking to be a great distraction in times of feeling crummy, and then there’s the reward at the end, to boot. Yes this is a worthy piece and a great recipe.
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Kate
November 13, 2019 at 5:17 AM
Thank you Elaine!
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Trudy Martin
November 8, 2019 at 5:30 PM
Thank you for your inspirational blog. It’s been uplifting and a blessing to me today.
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Kate
November 13, 2019 at 5:17 AM
See AlsoEasy Chocolate Pots de CrèmeThank you for sharing, Trudy.
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Susie King
November 8, 2019 at 4:54 PM
They look delish! I will definitely make these! Yum!
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Kate
November 13, 2019 at 5:18 AM
Hooray! I hope you will!
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Cindy S.
November 8, 2019 at 12:03 PM
Thank you , thank you , thank you!!! You gave me the push that I needed to get over the hump! So I am treating (especially) myself and my family with these special treats today!! I to have felt that terrible slump or horrible mother moments lately. You can’t do anything right or everything is a mess and I am running out the door cause somebody else needs something or forgot something. Never any time to just slow down and fix,do , choose what I want or need. So today I am declaring ME Day!! and totally going to just do the things that I want or need to get done and treating myself with these so delicious looking treats. And what could be better than CHOCOLATE!!! My fav!!! Thank you so much again for the boost and the encouragement We all need one time or another.
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Kate
November 13, 2019 at 5:19 AM
Oh I seriously hope you got to try these! Self-care always makes it easier to care in general. Hugs to you!
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November 8, 2019 at 10:39 AM
Thanks for your honesty and vulnerability in this post! Sometimes it feels reassuring to know that others have the same struggles as you. Plus the brownie petit fours look delish! You’re amazing!
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Kate
November 13, 2019 at 5:19 AM
Thank you for the encouragement, Jessica!
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Deb Garrett
November 8, 2019 at 10:26 AM
Kate, you are precious and your heart is so right! We must all care for one another in a genuine way. Thank you for sharing yet another perfect looking recipe, makes me want to prepare it! Blessings to you and yours
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Kate
November 13, 2019 at 5:19 AM
Thank you Deb. So grateful for the encouragement. 🙂
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rosa garrido
November 8, 2019 at 8:16 AM
good morning, your recipes are GREAT!
One thing on the instruction # 3 is missing . Thkyou have a nice dayReply
Kate
November 13, 2019 at 5:20 AM
Thank you Rosa! Correction made. 🙂
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Kate
November 13, 2019 at 5:20 AM
That is brilliant!
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ellen Preston
November 8, 2019 at 7:27 AM
For the mini brownies how long do you bake them for? Thank you
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Kate
November 13, 2019 at 5:20 AM
Same time as the large! You just cut them out differently. 🙂
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Rhonda Pierce
November 8, 2019 at 7:19 AM
Thank you, Kate. I’ve been in a funk lately and needed to be reminded that self care is so important. Also the brownies look amazing. Maybe I’ll make them thus year at Christmas. We miss you at YAH! Love, Rhonda
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Kate
November 13, 2019 at 5:21 AM
Ohhh, love to you Rhonda! All the hugs, all the love. Miss you guys so.
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Jeniva K
November 7, 2019 at 1:53 PM
I needed this today. I am right there with you and this spoke to my soul. Thank you for sharing this and for the reminder that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am in a very similar stage of life (just had my 4th baby about 5 months ago), and I don’t know how you have time to keep this beautiful blog going with 3 littles! Love your recipes, your photography, and your blog. Thank you for the encouragement. You were right in feeling that someone needed this today. 🙂
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Kate
November 13, 2019 at 5:25 AM
Life is crazy and busy no matter what phase of life, but I think the ones who spend a great deal of time caring for others (MOMS!!!!) need a little extra self-love. Hugs to you!
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I’m Kate Wood.I love creative recipes suitable for life’s moments.
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