Chocolate Heart Brownies

Ingredients

• Heart Brownies with Coconut-Pecan Filling
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Coconut-Pecan Filling

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 3/4 cup natural unsweetened fine coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Ganache

• 4 ounces dark chocolate
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• pinch of salt

Garnish

• 1 ounce chocolate chunk
• Tools: A heart shaped 1/3 cup sized muffin tin.

Directions

Coconut-Pecan Filling

1. Combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter, vanilla and egg yolk in a medium saucepan.
2. Cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in coconut and pecans. Cool to room temperature.

Chocolate Brownies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease heart-shaped muffin tins.
2. Sift together cocoa, flour and salt into a mixing bowl and set aside.
3. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend well.
4. Add sifted dry ingredients and mix until just integrated.
5. Spoon brownie batter into prepared cupcake tins, filling 1/3 of the way to top.
6. Flatten a heaping tablespoon of cooled coconut-pecan filling and layer over brownie batter.
7. Cover completely with more brownie batter, filling just about to the top of each cup.
8. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.
9. Remove to cooling rack.
10. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in pan pan before transferring individual hearts to cooling rack.
11. Makes 9 brownies using 1/3cup tins.

Ganache

1. Chop the chocolate into fine pieces and put into a heat proof pot. Save a small bit to grate with a fine grater for the topping.
2. In a small pot, bring the heavy cream to a boil over medium to high heat.
3. Pour the boiling cream over the finely chopped chocolate. Add a pinch of salt.
4. Leave to sit for 10 minutes and do not stir. Stirring will cool the ganache too quickly and make it grainy.
5. After 10 minutes, stir with a whisk until the ganache is nice and creamy.
6. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides to be sure the chocolate is off the bottom of the pot.
7. The ganache is ready to use.

Garnish

1. Using a grater, grate the chocolate chunk.

Assembly

1. Spread the ganache over the cooled brownies and then dust with grated chocolate.