I made Ina Garten's 'outrageous brownies,' the most popular dessert at her famous store, and they tasted incredible

As a longtime "Barefoot Contessa" fan, I've been making my way through Garten's desserts to improve my baking skills over the last few years.

And I've realized that when it comes to easy baking recipes, Garten never lets me down — especially when chocolate is involved.

Her mocha chocolate icebox cake remains one of my favorite homemade desserts of all time, and my family still talks about her iconic Beatty's Chocolate Cake.

So naturally, next on the list had to be her "outrageous" brownies.

Garten left a job at the White House to run Barefoot Contessa, working 18-hour days to turn it into a success in the Hamptons. She ran the store for nearly two decades and her first cookbook, "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook," featured its most popular recipes.

In the introduction to the dessert section, Garten writes that her husband Jeffrey's affection for her was "initially linked to the boxes of homemade brownies I used to send him in college."

And when Garten started running Barefoot Contessa, it was her brownies that were flying off the shelves — so much that she sold "like a thousand" a week, she said.

To make a serving of 20 (large) brownies, you'll need:

• 1 pound unsalted butter
• 1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 6 ounces bitter chocolate
• 6 extra-large eggs
• 3 cups chopped walnuts
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
• 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Garten recommends using a 12-inch by 18-inch by 1-inch baking sheet for this recipe.

I sliced my butter into knobs, melting them with the bitter chocolate and one pound of the chocolate chips in a saucepan over a pot of simmering water.

My kitchen already smelled delicious.

I added my eggs to a large bowl, along with the vanilla, instant coffee granules, and sugar. Garten loves using instant coffee in her desserts to enhance the chocolate flavor.

I then carefully stirred the ingredients together, making sure not to beat the eggs.

I stirred the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allowed it to cool to room temperature.

Garten said it's very important to allow the batter to cool before adding the chocolate chips because if the chips melt they will ruin the brownies.

I sifted one cup of flour, as well as the baking powder and salt, in a separate bowl before adding them to the cooled chocolate mixture.

"This recipe doesn't have a lot of flour, which is why they're so fudgy," Garten explained while demonstrating the brownies on an episode of "Barefoot Contessa."

Garten notes in her recipe that flouring the chocolate chips and walnuts keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the brownies while they're baking.

It was time to bake!

Garten explains on "Barefoot Contessa" that this is a crucial step in the middle of baking because air builds up between the brownies and the pan.

"I just pick up the pan and rap it on the baking rack and it releases all that air," she said.

Garten said it's important not to overbake the brownies.

My brownies looked super luscious and fudgy, each one packed with tons of chocolate chips and walnuts. I couldn't wait to dig in!

I should've known when I saw "outrageous" in the name that Garten's brownies were going to taste incredible. After all, I still rave about her outrageous garlic bread to this day and I made it for the first time nearly three years ago.

Garten's brownies are just so decadent and delicious. The chocolate is rich and satisfying, and the crunch of the chips and walnuts make for a great texture contrast. And while they're super easy to make, Garten's outrageous brownies are packed with so much flavor that they still taste really elevated. I gave a huge tub of these brownies to my boyfriend and his roommates and they couldn't get enough of them.

In the introduction to the dessert section of her first cookbook, Garten writes that "a homemade dessert is a special reward." Well her outrageous brownies might be one of the best rewards of all.