Thursday, February 14, 2013

Last-Minute Love Bug Brownie Bites

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I wasn't planning on posting today, but at the last minute, I had a change of heart. I wanted to make something quick and easy that you could make on "the fly" (or in this case more "like a lady") to share with your "love bugs" :-)

Sorry I haven't been posting many elaborate recipes lately, as I've opted to simplify my life. Sometimes this means doing some semi-homemade recipes that give me more time to spend on other things.

Today's Valentine recipe is made of items found at my local store and only requires some playful assembly. Even a kid can do it (Hayden likes to help with these). All you need is a raw brownie bar (make your own if you'd like or purchase one of your faves; I selected a Pure Bar, which happens to be sold within 15-minutes of my house and is a bar I buy often), fresh strawberries, dark chocolate-covered almonds and some chocolate chips.

Start by cutting your brownie bar into squares/"brownie bites" (my bar yielded 3 squares).

Next, cut the top off your strawberries, shaping them to look like a heart. Slice the heart-shaped strawberries in half and then make a cut down the center to create "lady bug wings."

Put the strawberry wings on top of the brownie bar bites.

Add the chocolate details (a dark chocolate almond "head" and chocolate chip "spots).

To make them look even more like lady bugs, whip up some quick and easy chocolate icing (cocoa powder combined with pure maple syrup to create a yummy icing) and pipe on antennas and a smiling face :-)

Speaking of a smiling face. Hayden was checking out these tasty treats during their whole photo shoot. 

Just waiting ...

... and patiently waiting.

I think she just swiped some chocolate icing.

Okay, it's time to play "slumber party spa day," while we watch Max & Ruby's Valentine epsiode. I have a feeling these will be our "spa treats." :-)