Chocolate for Valentine's

With Valentine's Day just around the corner you maybe wondering what to give your honey. Most would be buying a piece of fine jewelry, or planning a quiet romantic dinner for two. Well, I am going with plan B, i.e. bake my husband, Jack, a scrumptious chocolate cake and brownies. He is not just my sweetheart, but he loves sweet with a little of his heart.

I came across a chocolate brownie recipe on Martha Stewart's website and tried it. It was absolutely delicious! Here is the recipe - it's very simple...

Fudgy Brownies

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for foil
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chopped (I used dark chocolate)
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional) (I used pecans and chopped white chocolate)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with foil; butter foil. Set aside.


2. Place butter and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water; stir frequently, until almost melted. Remove from heat; stir until completely melted.


3. Whisk in sugar and salt until smooth; whisk in eggs. Gently whisk in flour just until smooth (do not over mix). Fold in nuts, if using.


4. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached (they should form a ball when rolled between your fingers), 45 to 50 minutes. Cool completely in pan.


5. Use foil to lift from pan; peel off and discard. Cut into 16 squares.

Note: Instead of dipping the dry measuring cup into the flour, spoon flour into the cup; then level flour with the straight edge of a knife. When lining the pan, press the foil neatly into the corners, and smooth the bottom and sides. If necessary, brush sides of pan with butter to help foil stay in place.

Make 16; Prep time: 25 minutes; Total time : 3 hours