Spring 2019 began on March 20 and heralds the celebration of Easter on April 21 this month. I was looking for a simple, but scrumptious dessert to serve at the end of our Easter dinner, and one that I could make ahead and quickly decorate at serving time.
I was scanning through a spring 2005 issue of Taste of Home magazine and found an article titled, “Simply Scrumptious Brownies.” The first paragraph caught my attention as I read, “Moist and chewy, fudgy or fluffy, those sensational squares we simply call ‘brownies’ accomplish a not-so-simple feat: They tickle just about everyone’s fancy.”
A short “Brownie Biography” indicated that the first known published recipe for brownies appeared in the 1897 Sears, Roebuck catalog, making those simple squares at least 122 years old! I don’t think I’ve ever attended a church supper, picnic, or potluck when someone hadn’t brought a platter of brownies.
However, the recipe I’m including here, which went along with the article, is much fancier than a square brownie and ends up looking like you spent hours putting it together! It can be dressed up with different toppings to match your celebrations.

Decadent Brownie Pie

Ingredients:
2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1-1/4 cups sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
2 eggs
1-14 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup baking cocoa
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk
2 cups chopped walnuts

Ganache

Ingredients:
1 cup whipping cream
8 squares (1 ounce each) semisweet chocolate, chopped
Optional toppings:
Raspberries and fresh mint leaves, drizzled caramel ice cream topping, whipped cream colored with food coloring to match the holiday, or shaved white chocolate curls.
Directions for Brownie Pie:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add corn syrup; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, cocoa and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Fold in walnuts. Spread into a greased, 10-inch springform pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted 1-inch from the side of pan comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Directions for Ganache:
In a saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate until melted. Cool completely. Remove sides of springform pan. Place a wire rack over waxed paper; set brownie on rack. Pour ganache over the brownie; spread over top and let drip down the sides. Let stand until set. Cut into wedges; garnish with desired topping. Store in refrigerator. Yield: 10-12 servings.
Note: For an Easter celebration, tint some whipping cream with yellow or green food coloring, being careful to keep it a pale color. Place a dollop of the whipping cream on each serving of the brownie pie just before serving. Place three pastel jelly beans on top of the whipping cream and serve.
For a buffet, decorate the brownie wedges with different toppings on the ganache and place them on a tiered tray so guests can
have a choice.
Happy Easter!