Truffle Brownies

Have you ever had a delicious truffle - the kind with chocolate ganache in the center? This is a brownie based on that type of chocolate truffle. This recipe is based on a Martha Stewart recipe - I took it to a family gathering, where dessert is always appreciated! :-)

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

3 ounces semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips, melted

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Topping:

4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, scrapped

In a mixing bowl, beat together all the ingredients for the cake. Grease a 9 inch round spring form pan, and bake at 325 for about 30 minutes, it will be a very dense looking brownie when it comes out. Set it aside, as it needs to be completely cooled before you add the ganache topping.

If you have never made ganache, it's kind of putsy - you have to do it in a certain order to make it set up properly. So, heat the heavy cream in a saucepan until it's simmering. Give it a stir. In a bowl add the chocolate and the vanilla seeds from the middle of the vanilla bean. Pour the hot heavy cream over the chips in a bowl. Now, let it sit for about 5 minutes. Do not touch it! At the five minute mark, give the mixture a stir, then walk away again. Come back after about another 10 minutes, and stir it again. Continue this pattern until the ganache is completely cooled. Then pour over the cooled brownie. Put it in the fridge for about a half hour.

When chilled, cut it up and serve it - yum!