Recipe

December 5, 2018

Carol’s Cocoa Caramel Brownies

Recipe: Carol Eppich

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 1/4 hours

These old-fashioned cocoa brownies are fudgy and decadent. The batter comes together easily in one pot — much appreciated when home cooks are at the height of holiday baking.

Ingredients

Brownies

  • 3⁄4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1″ pieces
  • 1 3⁄4 cups sugar
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1⁄2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour

Caramel Topping

  • 3⁄4 cupsugar
  • 1⁄2 cup water
  • 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1⁄2 tsp coarse salt
  • 1 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped

Directions

Yield: Makes 21 brownies

Make Brownies

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan, lining the bottom with parchment.
  2. In a pot over medium-low heat, combine butter, sugar, cocoa powder and salt, stirring often until butter is melted, sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth.
  3. Remove from heat and allow to cool until lukewarm, about 10 minutes.
  4. Add eggs one at a time and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth and glossy. Add vanilla. Add flour and stir until combined.

Bake Brownies

  1. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the brownies comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan.

Make Caramel Topping

  1. In a pot, combine sugar and water. Stir, just to moisten sugar.
  2. Turning burner to medium-high, allow mixture to come to a simmer without stirring until it reaches a honey color, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat.
  3. Stir in cream, vanilla and salt. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, then stir in pecans. When mixture has thickened but is still pourable, spread over brownies in an even layer. Let cool fully.
  4. Slice into 3 columns and 7 rows and remove from pan.
Author: Kristen Eppich
Photographer:

Donna Griffith

Source:

House & Home November 2017

Designer:

Prop styling by Sasha Seymour