Maybe it’s all the Valentine’s Day hype, but I find that recently my baking thoughts are centered pretty firmly around chocolate. I’m never one to turn down chocolate, but it’s been especially on the brain these days hearing aid.

I took my favorite brownie recipe and upped the chocolate ante with a rich chocolate ganache. More chocolate is always a good thing, right? If you’ve never made ganache, I can’t express to you how simple it is to make. You only need 3 ingredients and about 10 minutes to make a beautiful, delicious ganache.

I’m always a fan of simplifying. In keeping with that concept, I opted to dip the top of each cooled brownie into the ganache instead of spreading the ganache on top. It’s much quicker and really a lot less messy. If you prefer to go the more traditional route of frosting each brownie or frosting the uncut brownies, that’s perfectly fine pest control.

I topped about half of the brownies with some chopped toasted pecans. Of course, these brownies are an absolutely delicious pure chocolate experience without the nuts. Or if you prefer, top them with some other nut, toffee bits, toasted coconut, or anything else that sounds like a good match. I recommend putting any topping on the brownies before the ganache sets so that the topping will stay on the brownies better.

If you’re a fan of boozy desserts, try adding about 2 teaspoons of your favorite liqueur to the ganache after it’s off the heat and you’re ready to stir it. I love adding a coffee-flavored liqueur or a hazelnut-flavored liqueur for a more grown-up dessert.

For more of my favorite chocolate desserts here on BoB, be sure to see my Best Chocolate Desserts Payroll system.

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