Hi, fam! One of my favorite food and ASMR content creators on the net is a baker/chef from South Korea, who owns the Youtube channel HANSE. I’ve been following HANSE for a while now, and when I saw their video on Pavé Brownies, I knew I had to recreate them. These brownies are like solid bites of hot chocolate. Or imagine if nama chocolates and fudgy brownies had babies: those babies would be these pavé brownies. Some say these babies will coat your pearly whites, like chocolate toothpaste. YUM. As far as texture goes, there’s a bit of a chew but most of the brownie just melts and dissolves in your mouth.

Why are these called Pavé Brownies? When cut symmetrically with a warmed and clean knife, these brownies resemble paving stones. I got lazy and didn’t cut the edges off, so they are a little rustic. But hey, as long as they’re delicious and decadent, I’m happy!

These brownies are PERFECT for gifting to your loved ones this holiday season, or for dessert during Thanksgiving. They may be a little decadent after a huge turkey dinner though…

True story, my son gave me a serious side-eye as he watched me pack these up to gift to my neighbors. He finished one so quickly and flashed me the cutest chocolate-covered toothy smile!

Note: Be sure to let the brownies warm up for a bit at room temperature after you pull them out of the fridge, and have fun decorating them! Be festive, be creative, be garish! Be free!

For extra fudgy brownies, decrease the cake flour to about 100 g.

The Best Holiday Pavé Brownies, image Copyright Kat Lieu/modernasianbaking.com

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The Best Holiday Pavé Brownies Recipe by Kat Lieu

Yield

9 to 12 brownie bites

Author

Kat Lieu

Prep time

20 Min

Cook time

25 Min

Inactive time

5 Hour

Total time

5 H & 45 M

These are not brownies to enjoy on a first date, unless you want to coat your pearly whites with some decadent chocolate. Then again, chocolate-tinged breath makes for a sweet first kiss! Make and gift these beautiful and decadent brownies to your loved ones and friends this holiday season. Mmm. You can spice up these brownies if you'd like, or add in some cardamom or other spices to change up the flavor. Be sure to decorate them! I topped mine with cocoa powder, confectioners' sugar, black cocoa, and chocolate syrup with crushed candy cane on top. Have fun with these and just be sure to lick your teeth clean before you pose for a holiday pic!What are Pavé Brownies, you ask. Imagine soft nama chocolates from Japan mixed with luscious, fudgy brownies. The resulting dessert baby is a pavé brownie!

Ingredients

For the brownies

300 g dark or semi-sweet chocolate (about 3 bars of Baker's chocolate), chopped
2/3 cup (150 g) unsalted butter
4 large eggs (about 200 g)
150 g granulated sugar
1 teaspoon red or white miso
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
About 3 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk or honey, more if you'd like these to be sweeter, otherwise, these will not be very sweet
150 g cake flour, sifted
40 g Dutch-processed cocoa powder, and extra for dusting (for a darker look, you can try black cocoa
(You can make these spicy by adding 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili powder or 1 to 2 teaspoons gochujang)

Optional toppings

Crushed candy cane
chocolate syrup or ganache
powdered sugar

Instructions

Make the brownies

Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C). Line the entire inside of an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking dish with parchment paper, and set aside for now.
Chop the chocolate into chunks. Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring the mixture after each burst. You can stop heating the mixture when all the chocolate and butter are melted and combined (shiny, smooth, resembling thick chocolate syrup).
In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla, miso, sugar, and condensed milk or honey (by hand, with an electric hand mixer, or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) until well-combined and incorporated. Add the chocolate mixture and mix until homogenous. Then sift in the flour and cocoa powder. (If you have a spice you'd like to add, add it here.) Fold to incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, being careful not to overmix.
Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish. Do not taste the batter, unless you want to get sick.
Bake for about 25 minutes, until an inserted skewer or toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven, and cool on the counter for 10 minutes before covering and refrigerating for at least 2 hours.
Slice into 9 to 12 even pieces, dust with your optional powders, and decorate. Drizzle chocolate syrup over a brownie and top with crushed peppermint. Enjoy with tea or a glass of milk of your choice. Oat milk would taste lovely with this brownie. Happy holidays, friends!