I made these brownies this weekend as a little celebration of buying a new car. They are adapted from a recipe my mom gave me, which she cut out of the Washington Post at some point. They are more complicated than your average brownie, but they are totally worth it. I was a little worried about making the caramel topping because I am a terrible candy maker, but it was easier than I thought it would be.
Ultimate Brownie recipe
For the caramel topping:
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
To make the caramel: Combine the cream and the salt in a small bowl and set aside.
In a medium saucepan (heavy, unlined pans are best) with a lid, combine the water and the corn syrup over low heat. Add the sugar to the center of the saucepan and gently mix to thoroughly moisten the sugar, taking care not to let sugar crystals adhere to the sides of the pan. Cover, bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 3 to 5 minutes , without stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the liquid is clear.
Uncover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes more, without stirring, but gently swirling the pan occasionally, until the liquid is a pale golden color. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook about 1 to 3 minutes, continuing to swirl, until the caramel is a light amber and registers about 360 degrees on a candy or instant-read thermometer. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the cream salt mixture to the center of the pot, making sure that your hand isn't directly over the pot (the mixture will bubble and seam vigorously P.S. they aren't kidding about that!). Stir with a whisk or spatula until the bubbling subsides. Add the butter and the vanilla extract, stirring to combine. Transfer to a medium microwaveable measuring cup or bowl and set aside.
Brownie layers:
¾ cup flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into one inch pieces
4 ounces sweet baking chocolate, chopped
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
2 large eggs, at room temperature (I only just learned you can quickly bring eggs to room temperature for baking by placing them in a bowl of warm water. Duh.)
1 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Place your oven rack in the lower middle position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, allowing the extra foil to hang over the edges of the pan. Lightly grease the foil-lined pan with a baking spray.
Combine the flour and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside.
Melt the butter and the chopped baking chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate in a double boiler, stirring until slightly smooth; set aside to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar, salt and vanilla extract until well combined. Add the melted chocolate mixture to the egg mixture. Add the flour mixture a little at a time and stir until almost combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
To assemble, spread half of the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan. Drizzle about ¼ cup of the caramel over the brownie batter, spreading lightly with a spatula. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining brownie batter over the caramel layer and spread into the corners of the pan. Top with another ¼ cup or so of the caramel. Drag the tip of a knife through the layers of brownie and caramel to swirl them together. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes (possibly even slightly longer) until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack, 1 to 2 hours.
If necessary, heat the remaining caramel - you should have about ¾ of a cup left - in the microwave on high for 45 to 60 seconds until it is pourable but still thick. Pour over the brownies and use a spatula to spread evenly. Refrigerate and the brownies, uncovered, until they are fully chilled, at least 2 hours, or overnight.
Once the brownies have chilled, you can pull them out of the pan and peel the foil off. The recipe says to cut the brownies after you chill them, but I chose to cut them before I poured the post baking layer of caramel on the top. That way, the caramel drizzles in between the cut pieces.
These brownies are a bit of work, but they are incredible. Enjoy!
