Salted Caramel Brownies
yield: 24 BROWNIES
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp) unsalted butter
2 4 ounce semi-sweet chocolate bar, coarsely chopped
3 2 cups granulated sugar
4 3 large eggs, at room temperature
5 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
6 1 cup unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder
7 1 cup all-purpose flour(spoon & leveled)
8 1 teaspoon salt
9 1 cupsemi-sweet chocolate chips
10 1 cup homemade salted caramel
Directions:
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F . Line a 9x13 inch pan pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished brownies/caramel out of the pan as a whole. This makes cutting easier.
2 In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter and 2 ounces of chopped chocolate. Melt in 30 second increments, whiskingafter each, until completely smooth. Whisk in the sugar until completely combined, then whisk in the eggs and vanilla. The batter will be light brown and a little dull looking.
3 Add the cocoa powder, flour, salt, remaining 2 ounces of chopped chocolate, and chocolate chips. Fold it all together with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Batter will be very thick. Spread evenly into prepared pan.
4 Bake for 30 minutes, then test the brownies with a toothpick. Insert it into the center of the pan. If it comes out with wet batter, the brownies are not done. If there are only a few moist crumbs, the brownies are done. Keep checking every 2 minutes until you have moist crumbs.
5 Remove from the oven and pour slightly cooled salted caramel on top of hot brownies. Spread it evenly on top. If desired, and if you like very salty/sweet, sprinkle top with coarse salt. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into squares. Stick the pan in the refrigerator to speed things up.
6 Cover and store leftover brownies at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
yield: 1 CUP prep time: 10 MINUTES total time: 10 MINUTES, PLUS COOLING
Ingredients:
1 1 cup granulated sugar
2 6 Tablespoons salted butter, room temperature cut up into 6 pieces
3 1/2 cup heavy cream
4 1 teaspoon salt
Directions:
1 Heat granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a high heat resistant rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
2 Sugar will form clumps and eventually melt into a thick brown, amber-colored liquid as you continue to stir.Be careful not to burn.
3 Once sugar is completely melted, immediately add the butter.Be careful in this step because the caramel will bubble rapidly when the butter is added.
4 Stir the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted, about2-3 minutes. A whisk helps if you find the butter is separating from the sugar.
5 Very slowly, drizzle in 1/2 cup ofheavy cream while stirring. Since the heavy cream is colder than the caramel, the mixture will rapidly bubble and/or splatter when added.
6 Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute. It will rise in the pan as it boils.
7 Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Allow to cool down before using.
8 Make ahead tip:You can make this caramel in advance. Make sure it is covered tightly and store it for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Warm the caramel up for a few seconds before using in a recipe. This caramel is OK at room temperature for a dayif you're traveling or gifting it.
Carmel Recipe Notes:
Heavy cream (approximately 36% milk fat) may also be sold as whipping cream. Light whipping cream (30% milk fat), or double cream (48% milk fat) may be substituted. Do not use milk. Room temperature cream is best.
Avoid doubling or tripling this recipe. The added volume could prevent the sugar from melting evenly and properly. Make a couple batches instead.
Brownie Recipe Notes:
1 Chocolate bars are typically sold in 4 ounce bars. 2 ounces will be melted down into the batter and 2 ounces will be chopped up and folded into the batter. I suggest Ghirardelli, Baker's brand, or Lindt.
2 You can use either natural or dutch-process cocoa powder.