Recipe: Salted Caramel Brownies with Caramel Sauce

SALTED CARAMEL BROWNIES

"Here's what would happen if a brownie drizzled with sticky caramel sauce suddenly Hulked. No ordinary brownies, these have a layer of melty, chewy caramel in the center and a coating of salt-sprinkled caramel on top. Because we want you to be able to taste (and share) these brownies ASAP, weve turned to reliably delicious caramel candies (but if you want to be a go-getter, you could certainly make your own) for the filling and the glaze. No one will complain if you want to top these with vanilla caramel or chocolate ice cream, too."



Nonstick cooking spray
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 pound 3 ounces soft caramel candies, such as Kraft Caramels
(about 64), cut in half
1/4 cup heavy cream
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8-inch square metal baking pan with cooking spray and line the bottom and all sides with parchment paper, leaving 1 inch overhanging the sides of the
pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Add the vanilla and eggs and whisk until thoroughly combined.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Sift the flour mixture through a fine-mesh strainer over the batter and stir until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Pour half the batter into the prepared pan and use a rubber spatula to spread it evenly over the bottom. Arrange half the caramel pieces in a single layer over the batter, leaving a 12-inch border on all sides. Pour the remaining batter over the caramel candies and use the spatula to gently spread the batter to cover them.

Bake until the brownies are matte on top and set through the center, about 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack.

In a medium heatproof bowl, combine the remaining caramel pieces and the cream and microwave on high power, stirring halfway through, until the mixture is thick and smooth. Pour the caramel sauce over the brownies and smooth out the top with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with the sea salt while warm, then let cool completely, about 2 hours.

Using the ovehanging parchment paper as handles, lift the brownies out of the pan and set them on a cutting board. Cut into 9 squares to serve.

Makes 9 brownies
Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Clarkson Potter
Source: Tasty Dessert: All the Sweet You Can Eat (An Official Tasty Cookbook) by Tasty