Mini Brownie Fruit Pizzas with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Fresh fruit, diced small, for topping
• 6 Tbsp cream cheese, softened
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, then fit it with one long piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil so it extends past two sides. Butter the lining as well, and put the pan aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the melted butter with the cocoa powder, stirring until the mixture is even and glossy. Add the sugar and salt and mix them in. With a wooden spoon, work in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract. Add the flour and mix just until you no longer see any flour streaks. Transfer the batter to the prepared dish.
3. Bake in the heated oven for 18 – 20 minutes, until a toothpick poked into the middle comes back with a few damp crumbs clinging to it. Move the baking dish to a wire rack and let the brownies cool all the way.
4. Use the parchment overhang to pull the brownie slab out of the pan. With a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter, stamp out circles from the brownies. You should get about 14. The tops may split a bit, which is no trouble since frosting will cover them. Because the brownies are very moist, they may cling to the cutter, so gently press the brownie edges down as you lift the cutter away.
5. For the cream cheese frosting, place the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric stand mixer with the paddle attachment, and beat until the mixture is fluffy and smooth. Blend in the vanilla, then add the powdered sugar and beat again until the frosting is smooth and airy.
6. Pipe or spread the cream cheese frosting over each brownie round, then finish with fresh fruit. If using bananas, toss them in a light lemon water mixture and dry them before adding so they brown more slowly. These are best served soon after assembly. The brownies and frosting may be prepared ahead, and the frosted brownies can be refrigerated the day before; wait to put on the fruit until serving.
7. For a simpler version, bake the brownies in a whoopie pie pan. Or use the 13 by 9 pan, leave the brownies as a full sheet, frost the top, add the fruit, and slice into bars.