These Chocolate Raspberry Brownies are deliciously easy and such a perfect flavor combo!
Beware. In this post I’m going to drone on about being pregnant, so if that isn’t your thing, but chocolate and raspberries are (and who can blame you?), just skip to the recipe.
As of this Sunday I will be 28 weeks pregnant. So that means that I will officially be in my third trimester. And I’m not going to lie, that really freaks me out. On a superficial level, it freaks me out because I honestly feel, physically, like I’m about 38 weeks pregnant, not 28. I feel huge, it is getting harder and harder to do things (I mean, how much longer can I really perch acrobatically on a stool over a plate of food??), and I just can’t imagine this going on for three more months, with my belly growing exponentially.
On an only slightly less superficially level, EEEEEEKKKKKKK! There is SO. MUCH. TO. DO. before I give birth! There are things to do with the blog (like work ahead, set up guest posts, etc.) and there are things to do with our house! Like . . . oh, I don’t know, set up the nursery!!! I don’t sleep well with a baby in my room, and I really need things to be in place before kiddo is born, so that means we have T-minus twelve weeks to get our game faces on. Did I mention that I stupidly decided to make the nursery bedding?? Include a quilt. #idontknowhowtoquilt
And lastly, and most importantly, I feel like I’m in this very weird limbo state. I feel like we are just on the precipice of being a family of five. And it feels very strange. I am totally looking forward to meeting this little girl, and given all the grace and blessings that have come my way in life, I know that she will be the perfect little soul for our family.
And yet, part of me is mourning the loss of our sweet little family of four. For so long it was the three of us, Nathan, Gavin, and I. And we felt like a family. And after we lost Elliot, we definitely felt defeated and like we were a man down. Quinn came along and again, I felt like we were such a family. That is even more the case now. We all play our roles, we all have such different personalities, with such striking similarities and we know each other so well. It’s just hard to even imagine another person coming in.
Someone please tell me I’m not the first mom to feel this way! So torn between excitement and a little tinge of loss.
I am trying to prepare Gavin and Quinn as best as I can, and I also know that it will play out the way it will play out. And we will all adjust.
In the meantime, I am going to quell my fears about our changing family, my anxiety about my guest-room-in-shambles-almost-nursery, and my sweet little blog with these Chocolate Raspberry Brownies.
Ummmm, these are awesome guys. I really had to exhibit some serious self control while cutting into these to photograph them. They are the recipe I used to make my mom’s Chocolate Mint Brownies, and they are just as good, though very different. Ha! Kind of like our changing family.
Chocolate Raspberry Brownies
Ingredients
- Brownie Mix I used Betty Crocker
- 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup butter almost melted
- 2 TBSPs milk
- 2 tsps raspberry extract
- red food coloring
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup butter
Instructions
- Bake brownies as directed (the 9x13 size). Let cool for at least an hour on the counter, or a half hour in the refrigerator.
- Mix together 1/2 cup of almost melted butter (you don't want it liquid, but you want it extremely soft), powdered sugar, milk, and raspberry extract. Add as much red food coloring as is necessary to get it a nice pink color. Pour the mixture over the cooled brownies, spreading to make a nice even layer. Refrigerate for another half hour.
- Melt the chocolate chips and the remaining 1/2 cup butter over medium low heat, stirring until smooth. Pour over the brownies, tilting the pan so it smooths out. Refrigerate for an hour or until chocolate has completely set and is hard.
did you make this
Chocolate Raspberry Brownies
You might also like:
Mint Chocolate Brownies
Skinny Chocolate Raspberry Tartlets 
Samantha @ Five Heart Home says
Oh, Lisa…I think everything you’re describing sounds totally normal! Between kids to chase and blogging and apparently quilting (!), #3 definitely sneaks up on you! ;) And I remember feeling the same small sense of sadness at the thought of our perfect little family changing each time we added a new baby. But as soon as that baby got here, I forgot all about it! :) Good luck with your to-do list, and don’t stress too much if not everything is perfect by arrival day…if nothing else, third borns learn to be totally flexible early on! And incidentally, your brownies look amazing…chocolate and raspberry is one of my favorite combinations!
Oh, thank you Samantha!! I can’t tell you what the kind words of other moms who GET IT mean to me. :)
Julie says
You are definitely not the only one who has felt the way you do, Lisa! I remember feeling the same thing! Take a deep breath, take one day at a time, and all of the important things will come together. And if something doesn’t get done, you’ll make do! Love these brownies, too :)
Thank you so much Julie! And you are absolutely right. As long as the baby gets here healthy I will be happy.
Melissa {Persnickety Plates} says
When my alarm went off this morning my eyes popped open with the realization that today I’m 31 weeks aka 9 weeks left. Single digits. & it’s been freaking me out all day. 9 weeks sounds soooo soon. Assuming I last the full 9 weeks. Holy cow. Ok, anyway. Your brownies are pretty. haha
Melissa, yesterday I told Nathan, “We are officially in the third trimester.” His response? “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” :)
ThisPrettyNest.com says
Oh my gosh, these look amazing! Your mint chocolate ones are on the menu for V-day, but I may need to make a couple batches and include these too. Wow, thanks for posting such amazing recipes!
Thanks so much! I’m so excited that my chocolate mint brownies made your Vday list! They are definitely a hit everywhere I take them!
Nancy P.@thebittersideofsweet says
And then you will give birth and wonder how your family was just ever four. How you can’t imagine how life was before that new precious baby. We all have all kinds of fears before a new one is born, I know mine was how in the world could I love another. I was literally crying to my husband trying to fathom this. I had 3 in the house that I loved so much how could I possibly have enough love to give to another baby. The answer of course when that baby came was OMG YES I have more love in me then I possibly knew I had. You are going to be great Lisa!!
Such sweet words, Nancy. Thank you so much. How you describe it is dead on. You think that you just don’t have any more love to give, and then suddenly when they are here it’s like a piece of you that was missing is finally in your arms :)
Dina says
they look delicious!
Thanks Dina!
jkweigle says
I hope Dina was talking about the brownies and not the kids! Hope all are well and happy.
Happy Valley Chow says
Nice! Those sound and look delicious. Great job :)
Happy Blogging!
Happy Valley Chow
Thanks!! They are awesome, I just had to evict them from the house today so I wouldn’t eat the whole pan!!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
((hugs)) to you my friend! Hang in there, the finish line is closing in!
Thanks Dorothy!
Deb says
What size pan did you use? I am curious if the amount of topping is for a 9×9 batch of brownies or the family size. The look wonderful, so I want them to turn out like the picture!
A 9×13 inch pan! And it will definitely turn out differently in a 9×9 pan. Not necessarily bad, but different. :)
Tonia says
Yeah, it’s crazy how fast the time goes before the baby is due! You’ll get it all done though!
Thanks Tonia! This is the fastest the due date has ever crept on me!! :o