Wanting a Spring Break

In my quest for warmth, instead of heading outdoors, I head to the kitchen. Here I can feel the heat of the oven and close my eyes and pretend to be on a beach. I hear the water running from the sink and pretend its waves crashing on the shore. Can you tell that I'm wishing for a spring break? In any case, I wanted something sweet and something warm. I faithfully read the picky palate blog (http://www.pickypalate.blogspot.com/) and about a month back, she posted a blog about the best brownies ever. I had to try it out for myself. Let me just say that these brownies are like eating a little peice of heaven. In one bite, I was on the beach, listening to the waves and experiencing pure bliss. That was just the first bite...I won't even go into what the second and third bite were like. So I'm posting the recipe for all you to check it out. You will fall in love instantly!

Chocolate Mascarpone Brownies

1 Cup unsalted butter

3 ounces best quality semi-sweet chocolate (finely chopped)

1 Cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder

1/2 Cup Mascarpone Cheese- softened

3 Large Eggs

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 Cup All purpose flour

1/4 tsp Salt

Ganache:
6 ounces best quality semi sweet chocolate (finely chopped)

6 Tbs Whipping Cream

3 Tbs Unsalted Butter

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter an 9 x 13-inch square pan and set aside.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter and bring it to just below a boil. Place the chocolate in a large bowl. Pour in the hot butter and let stand for 30 seconds. Stir until completely melted. Sift in the sugar and cocoa powder. Beat in the mascarpone, eggs, and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Gently fold the flour and salt into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes while you prepare the ganache. For the Ganache: Place the chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Bring the cream and butter to just below boiling point in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds. Stir the mixture until smooth. The ganache should be used for spreading while warm. Let the Ganache firm up before cutting. Its best to refrigerate them until quite firm.