Valentine’s Day Pocky Cupid Hearts

How cute are these brownie hearts with Pocky Strawberry as a cupid's arrow! Perfect sweet treats for your sweetie and yourself 😉.

Ingredients

For Brownies:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 1/4 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2″ heart cookie cutter

For Buttercream: 

  • 1 cup salted butter, room temperature
  • 1 lb powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pink food coloring

For Cupid’s Arrow:

  • Pocky Strawberry
  • Gummy Hearts
  • Candy Hearts
  • Toothpick
  • Piping bag
  • Star piping tip

Instructions

For Brownies: 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 12×12 pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine melted butter, oil and sugar on medium speed. Whisk until fully combined, about 1- 2 minutes.
  4. Add eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until full combined, about 1 minute.
  5. Fold in dry ingredients until just combined.
  6. Place batter in prepared pan. Smooth into an even layer with a knife or offset spatula.
  7. Bake for 25-38 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool.
  8. Once brownies are cool, take them out of the pan and place in the fridge for one hour. (This makes it much easier to cut into shapes!)
  9. Use cookie cutter to make hearts.

For Buttercream: 

  1. In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, cream butter until it is soft and smooth.
  2. Add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla and mix until light and fluffy.
  3. Add a few drops of pink food coloring. Mix until you get desired color.

For Cupid’s Arrow:

  1. Prepare a piping bag with a star tip. Frost brownies as desired.
  2. Divide Pocky in half.
  3. Use scissors to cut gummy heart half-way down. Use toothpick to make a hole in the bottom of the gummy heart and place bottom half of the Pocky stick into it.
  4. Use icing to attach candy heart to the top of the Pocky stick.
  5. Place sticks into each side of the brownie heart.

*Makes 16 Cupid Brownies

Source: Sprinkles for Breakfast