Super-Simple and Seductive: Valentine Brownies

You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to make these chocolate brownie hearts. With no special pan or baking skills needed, they’re the perfect I-love-you gift for family, friends, and caregivers. Happily, dark chocolate adds a modicum of cancer-preventing antioxidants to the experience. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Start with a pan of baked brownies. That’s right – just a plain pan of brownies. The heart part comes next.

Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter, preferably one that’s at least as deep as your brownies, to cut out as many hearts as you can.

You’ll inevitably end up with some scraps. Baker’s treat!

Place the hearts on a rack set over a piece of parchment or waxed paper or whatever else you might use to keep your counter clean.

Next, make some chocolate ganache, a simple combination of cream and chocolate. I’m using 2/3 cup chocolate chips, and 6 tablespoons heavy cream.

Combine the chocolate and cream, and heat in a microwave until the cream starts to steam. Stir until the chocolate melts and everything smooths out. The mixture will seem really gloppy at first; don’t panic, just keep stirring and eventually it’ll all come together.

Drizzle the ganache over the brownie hearts.

And that’s all there is to it.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

See more enticing recipes:

Best Antioxidant Foods You’ve Never Heard Of

Dark Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

Chocolate-Dipped Banana Bread

Pleasure Without Guilt: Banana Bliss Soft-Serve

Breast cancer survivor and award-winning author PJ Hamel, a long-time contributor to the HealthCentral community, counsels women with breast cancer through the volunteer program at her local hospital. She founded and manages a large and active online survivor support network.