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Caramel Brownies

Caramel Brownies

Fudgy, decadent brownies swirled with gooey caramel sauce.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 27 minutes
Total Time 47 minutes
YIELD 16 brownies

Ingredients

Caramel

  • 2 tablespoons water
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy whipping cream, slightly warmed in the microwave
  • pinch of salt

Brownies

  • 200 g/7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • ⅔ cup (130g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • ⅔ cup (90g) all-purpose flour, sifted
  • ¼ teaspoons salt
  • pinch of coarse sea salt, to sprinkle on top of the brownies, optional

Instructions

Make the caramel:

  1. Have all of your ingredients measured, ready, and close to the pan so that they can be added immediately when it's time. Keep a constant eye on the stove. The temperature of the caramel will be very high, so keep your face and body away from the pan.

  2. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan (large enough to coat the surface with an even thin layer of sugar), heat water and sugar over medium heat.* Make sure all of the sugar is evenly moistened from the water and there are no dry spots. It’s important to not stir the mixture, and instead gently swirl and shake the pan occasionally so the caramel will cook evenly and won't burn. The caramel will usually start to brown at the edges first. In that case, push the liquefied sugar towards the middle of the pan using a heatproof utensil such as a whisk, spatula, or wooden spoon.

  3. Once all the sugar has melted, watch the pan, swirling it occasionally until the caramel turns a medium amber color. Add the butter carefully (mixture will bubble up), and whisk vigorously until butter has melted and fully combined.
  4. Remove from heat, then carefully add cream and keep whisking until combined. Mix in salt. Transfer carefully to a heatproof jar and let cool completely at room temperature before using.

Make the brownies:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper or aluminium foil, leaving enough overhang on the sides for lifting the brownies out after baking.
  2. In a large heat-proof bowl, place chocolate and butter. Heat in the microwave in 20-30 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until melted (or set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally). Add sugar to chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add eggs and whisk the mixture vigorously for several seconds until shiny. Add flour and salt and fold, using a rubber spatula, just until combined.
  3. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Spoon dollops of caramel on top of brownie batter. Using a knife or skewer, gently swirl the two batters together to get a marble effect. Be careful not to over swirl and completely mix the batters tighter. You want to still see lots of the caramel blobs on top. If using, sprinkle coarse sea salt all over the surface of the batter.
  4. Bake for 23-27 minutes, until the edges are set but the center is still very soft. Be careful not to overbake. A toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies should come out with moist crumbs, not dry. Let brownies cool completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate until set for easy cutting. Lift brownies out of the pan using the parchment paper and cut into squares. Serve cold or at room temperature.
  5. Store brownies in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Brownies can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge.

Recipe Notes

*Note on making caramel sauce: Sugar can crystallize easily when heated. To prevent this, you can add a few drops of lemon juice to the sugar-water mixture. It won’t add lemon flavor, but it will prevent your sugar from becoming a giant crystal