Decadent Boston Cream Brownies

1.Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

2.In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter and 2 cups of granulated sugar, whisking until smooth.

3.Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then stir in the vanilla extract.

4.In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined.

5.Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan, spreading it evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let cool completely in the pan.

6.While the brownies are cooling, prepare the vanilla custard. In a medium saucepan, whisk together 2 cups of whole milk, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup cornstarch, and 1/4 teaspoon salt over medium heat until it starts to thicken.

7.In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Gradually add a small amount of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolks, whisking constantly to temper them. Then pour the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture.

8.Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the custard thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Let the custard cool slightly before spreading it over the cooled brownies.

9.Once the custard is set on the brownies, prepare the chocolate ganache. In a small saucepan, heat 1/2 cup of heavy cream until just simmering. Remove from heat and add 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips, stirring until melted and smooth.

10.Pour the chocolate ganache over the custard layer, spreading it evenly. Refrigerate the brownies for at least 2 hours to set the ganache before slicing into squares and serving.