FOOD NETWORK CHOCOLATE RECIPES RECIPES

Steps:

• For the crust:
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pulse the peanuts, granulated sugar, and cloves in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Pulse in the butter. Press the nut mixture evenly into the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan and bake until set, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Melt the chocolate with the cream in a microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth, and then spread the chocolate over the crust. Freeze the crust while making the filling.
• For the filling:
• Whisk the milk, eggs, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until boiling. Continue to cook until the consistency of mayonnaise, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl. Whisk in the cream cheese, peanut butter, and vanilla. Spread evenly over the chocolate and refrigerate until cold or overnight.
• For the topping:
• Melt the chocolate in a microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth; cool slightly. Whip the cream with the confectioners' sugar until it holds slightly stiff peaks. Stir a large spoonful of the cream into the chocolate and then fold all the chocolate into the cream. Remove the pie from the pan. Spread the cream topping onto the pie with an offset spatula. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F; have ready a buttered 8-inch square glass cake pan.
• First, prepare the brownies.
• In a small saucepan, melt the butter and bring it to just below a boil; have the chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl--pour the hot butter over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds.
• Stir until chocolate is completely melted.
• Sift in the sugar and cocoa powder (I do this through a sieve, not with a sifter).
• With a wooden spoon, beat in the mascarpone, eggs (30 minutes on the counter brings them to room temperature) and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
• Gently fold the flour and salt into the batter.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly--this is important since, if the batter isn't spread evenly, it won't bake evenly.
• Place into preheated oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean (45 minutes did it for me).
• Place pan on a cooling rack and let brownies cool for 10-15 minutes, while you now make the ganache.
• Place chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl; in a small saucepan, bring the cream and the butter to just below the boiling point, over medium heat.
• Pour this hot cream-butter mixture over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds, then stir until smooth; ganache is now ready to use and can be spread over the brownies.
• Should you wish to wait a bit, make sure the ganache is warm when you spread over the brownies, as it does firm up which makes spreading hard to do.
• Don't cut into the brownies until ganache has firmed up; I find it best to put the brownies into the fridge to speed this along; once the ganache is firm the brownies do not need to be kept in the fridge, though.