Sweetheart Brownies with Crème Anglaise

Brownies

• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar, for garnish
• 9-inch square cake pan

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, melt chocolate and butter in the microwave at 50% power or in a mixing bowl set over – not in – hot water, stirring until smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in sugars and vanilla. Add eggs, beating well with a large spoon.

In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture, blending thoroughly. Spray cake pan with nonstick spray and spoon the brownie mixture into the pan.

Bake 22 to 25 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove it from the oven and cool on a wire rack. To serve, spoon a pool of crème anglaise onto dessert plates, tilt to distribute the custard, dust top of brownies with confectioners’ sugar, and place a brownie in the center of each plate.

Crème Anglaise

• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 ¼ cups milk
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 egg yolks

Split the vanilla bean lengthwise with a sharp knife, scrape out the seeds, and transfer the seeds and bean to a medium saucepan. Pour in milk and whisk together. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until small bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, beat egg yolks with sugar until the mixture is thick. Remove the vanilla bean from the milk and whisk a little of the hot milk into the egg mixture to temper the eggs, mixing well. Return the tempered egg mixture to the saucepan.

Over medium heat, whisk the mixture constantly until the custard thickens and comes just to a boil. Do not allow the custard to burn on the bottom of the pan. Pour the custard into a clean bowl, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on it, and chill until cold, about 2 hours. Stir the custard just before using.