Martha Stewart Fudgy Chocolate Brownies

These are some of the best brownies you can ever make. They should win the gold medal in any brownie bake off. I love how Martha has the video for these on her website because that’s what urged me to make them. You MUST use bittersweet chocolate. Even if you don’t like dark chocolate. The depth of flavor is unmatched! I have to say though, that Mascarpone Brownies are in close second to these. If you like richer, incredibly moist and fudgy brownies- go with the Mascarpone Brownies. If you like intense chocolate, complex flavor, and brownies that are chewy- Martha’s your girl. I use ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips. I also tried this recipe with brown sugar and it tastes much better with regular sugar. Her sauce is insanely divine that adds richness and makes these fudgy so you get the best of both worlds.

You have to watch her video to get her secret fudge sauce recipe. Oh wait, no you don’t, I will gladly post it for you. Look how nice I am.


Martha Stewart Fudgy Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan or heatproof glass dish. Line pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on 2 sides. Set aside. Place butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water; stir frequently until chocolate and butter are melted, about 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat; let cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir sugar into cooled chocolate mixture until combined. Whisk in eggs one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Whisk in vanilla. Gently fold in flour and salt.

Pour batter into prepared pan, and smooth top with an offset spatula. Bake until cake tester inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Run a knife or offset spatula around the edges of the pan. Using parchment, lift brownies out of pan and onto the rack. Transfer to a cutting board; cut into 2-inch squares.

Martha Stewart's Hot Fudge Sauce
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup light corn syrup
12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips (or high quality chocolate, chopped)

Directions
Combine the heavy cream and corn syrup in a sauce pan over low heat until bubbly. Add the chocolate and stir until combined. Remove from heat. Refrigerate leftovers. 

The Ultimate Cheesecake

I love Tyler Florence because he makes the most mouth-watering food on food network and he doesn’t give me that fake TV personality. I did call this cheesecake the ultimate for a few years. But now it just depends on my mood. This one is different from a Hershey’s or Junior’s cheesecake. Hershey’s seems to be my favorite right now because it has a great texture- creamy but with a medium denseness and more emphasis on the cream cheese flavor. Junior’s is a classic new york style cheesecake that's alittle more dry. Still rich in flavor, but more crumbly.  This Ultimate Cheesecake is like a combination between the two. It has a rich flavor but is still light and creamy. It’s the sour cream and lemon zest that make this cake refreshing, but if you’d like, you could serve it with a fruit pie filling on top for extra sweetness.