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 of unsalted butter1 pound, plus 12 ounces, of semisweet chocolate chips6 ounces of bitter chocolate6 extra-large eggs3 cups of chopped walnuts2 ¼ cups of sugar1 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour3 tablespoons of instant coffee granules2 tablespoons of pure vanilla extract1 tablespoon of baking powder1 teaspoon of 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 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 explained on "Barefoot Contessa" that this was a crucial step during 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 packed with chocolate chips and walnuts. I couldn't wait to dig in!

When I saw "outrageous" in the name, I should've known Garten's brownies would taste incredible. After all, I still rave about her outrageous garlic bread to this day, and I made it for the first time four 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 makes 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 elevated.

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.