Tag: caramel brownies

Caramel Frosted Brownies

caramelbrownieBrownies are one of my favorite things to bake (and to eat). Start with a reliable recipe as your base and add whatever flavors you want – mix in toasted nuts or chocolate chips, frost them, drizzle them, whatever you want.

These treats are basic and delicious, using my standard easy brownies recipe and caramel buttercream. I almost sprinkled Heath bits on top, but decided to leave them as-is. I’d also like to come up with a caramel swirl brownie, not unlike peanut butter swirl brownies. Or event a caramel peanut butter swirl? This also just gave me an idea for peanut butter caramel frosting…and now my imagination is running wild. We’ll see what happens. 

Ingredients

For the brownies

  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 6 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the frosting

  • 12 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons caramel sauce, to taste 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking tin; I always sprinkle the bottom of the tin with sugar when I’m baking brownies for a crunch bottom crust.

In a mixing bowl, stir together oil and sugar, then add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in cocoa powder, then salt, flour, and vanilla until the batter is smooth.

Pour into the baking tin and spread into an even layer. Bake for 30-34 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. These brownies are fudgy, but shouldn’t be too gooey in the middle when they’re done; the center will look mostly set on top.

Remove from oven and allow to cool before frosting.

To make frosting, beat butter and powdered sugar on low speed until the sugar is fully incorporated into the butter. Add caramel sauce and vanilla and beat to combine completely. Pour over brownies and frost with an offset spatula; cut into 24 squares. 

Caramel Pecan Brownies

caramel pecan brownieI love recipes that come on the backs of tins of cocoa powder, cans of evaporated milk, and packages of candies. They are tried and true, the kind of recipes that bakers have relied on for parties, picnics, and everyday treats for years.

These caramel pecan brownies came from the back of a bag of Kraft Caramels, and they remind me very much of one of my favorite candies, the caramel turtle. They’re gooey without seeming under-baked and have a nice crunch from the pecans. Trust me, toasting the pecans is worth it – toasting brings out a richer flavor, which balances the sweetness of the chocolate and caramel very well.

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 12 tablespoons butter, cut into slices
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup flour
  • 11-ounce package Kraft caramels
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 cups pecan halves, toasted and cooled*

*Toast pecans in a 350 degree oven for about 8-9 minutes, until darker brown and fragrant. 

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with foil; spray lightly with baking spray.

Roughly chop your toasted pecans and set aside.

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate and butter. Microwave for 2 minutes, then stir; you’ll have a few lumps of chocolate that remain. Microwave for another minute and stir again until mixture is completely smooth. Set aside for a few minutes to cool very slightly.

In a large bowl, combine sugar and eggs; add chocolate mixture and stir until well-combined, then add flour mixture and stir until well-combined.

Pour half of the batter into prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes, until the top is set.

While your bottom layer is baking, unwrap caramels and place them in a medium microwave-safe bowl. With about 6 minutes of baking time left on your bottom layer, add heavy cream and microwave for 2 minutes, then stir very carefully – the heavy cream will splash pretty easily. Continue to microwave in 30-second intervals, carefully stirring between each, until caramels are completely melted.

Stir in 1 cup pecans, then pour the caramel mixture over the bottom brownie layer. Top with remaining batter and carefully spread to cover the caramel mixture; I used a small offset spatula and noticed that the heat of the pan and the caramel layer melted the brownie batter slightly, which helped make it more spreadable. Some of the caramel will peek through; that’s fine. Top with remaining nuts.

Bake for 30 minutes, until top is set. Cool completely before serving.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.