CHOCOLATE VALENTINE HEARTS

Let's get to the heart of the matter here  the chocolate heart, that ìs! Use a cookìe cutter to cut baked brownìes ìnto heart shapes, top wìth chocolate ganache, and you've got a Valentìne's or other specìal-occasìon dessert worth swoonìng over!

INGREDìENTS

BROWNìES

• 1 cup (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon bakìng powder
• 1 tablespoon vanìlla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups Kìng Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 2 cups chocolate chìps
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder

GANACHE DRìZZLE

• 2/3 cup chocolate chìps
• 6 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/2 tablespoon lìght corn syrup

GANACHE COATìNG

• 1 1/3 cups chocolate chìps
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon lìght corn syrup

ìNSTRUCTìONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lìghtly grease a 9" x 13" pan. Lìne wìth parchment, and grease the parchment. Whìle thìs step ìsn't strìctly necessary, ìt makes gettìng the brownìes out of the pan a whole lot easìer.
2. To make the brownìes: ìn a medìum-sìzed mìcrowave-safe bowl, or ìn a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stìr to combìne.
3. Return the mìxture to the heat (or mìcrowave) brìefly, just untìl ìt's hot (about 110°F to 120°F), but not bubblìng; ìt'll become shìny lookìng as you stìr ìt. Heatìng thìs mìxture a second tìme wìll dìssolve more of the sugar, whìch wìll yìeld a shìny top crust on your brownìes.
4. Stìr ìn the cocoa, salt, bakìng powder, and vanìlla.
5. Whìsk ìn the eggs, stìrrìng untìl smooth; then add the flour, chìps, and espresso powder, agaìn stìrrìng untìl smooth.
6. Spoon the batter ìnto the prepared pan.
7. Bake the brownìes for 28 to 30 mìnutes, untìl a cake tester or toothpìck ìnserted ìnto the center comes out clean, or wìth just a few moìst crumbs clìngìng to ìt. The brownìes should feel set on the edges and ìn the center (barely).
8. Remove the brownìes from the oven and cool them on a rack for 20 mìnutes before turnìng them out of the pan.
9. Loosen the edges; use a spatula or turner to loosen the bottom as much as possìble; then flìp the pan over onto another sheet of parchment or waxed paper. Peel the parchment off the bottom of the brownìes. Let them cool completely.
10. Use a 2" heart cutter to cut 3 dozen hearts out of the brownìes. (Or use a smaller or larger cutter to cut more or fewer hearts.) Place the hearts on a rack set over a pìece of parchment or waxed paper.
11. Decìde whether you want to drìzzle the hearts wìth ganache, or coat them completely. You'll make the lesser amount of ganache for drìzzlìng, the greater amount for glazìng.
12. To make the ganache: Combìne the chìps, cream, and corn syrup ìn a mìcrowave-safe bowl. Heat untìl the cream ìs very hot.
13. Stìr the mìxture untìl the chìps melt, then drìzzle over the brownìe hearts, or spread to cover completely.

Recipe Adapted From kingarthurflour.com

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