Salted Caramel Brownies

So the other day I ate a really disappointing brownie at a coffee shop. (Here's a personal fact about me: I don't like coffee but I love going to coffee shops.) This brownie tasted like dry, bland and boring chocolate cake with dry, brittle chocolate chips. After several bites I was so dissatisfied that I threw the rest of it away (and felt guilty for wasting food). Lesson learned – homemade brownies are the best. Below is a basic brownie recipe that tastes great on its own, but can be dressed up in a number of ways. I have chosen to share my favorite variation with you, the addition of caramel and sea salt. What is your favorite kind of brownie?

Brownie Ingredients:

12 tablespoons butter

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped

4 eggs for fudgy brownies or 5 eggs for cake-like brownies

1 ¾ cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup flour

¼ cup cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 by 13-inch pan and set aside. In a small saucepan over low heat melt the butter and chocolate, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside. In a medium bowl whisk the eggs, then slowly add the sugar, whisking vigorously for about one minute to blend the ingredients well. Add approximately one tablespoon of the melted chocolate mixture, stir, then add another 2 tablespoons and stir. Pour a little more of the chocolate, stirring as you go, until you've added all of it. (This is known as tempering and it keeps the eggs from curdling, which is what would happen if you added all of the hot mixture at one time.) In a small bowl combine the flour and cocoa, then add to the wet ingredients and whisk just until combined. Transfer the batter to the buttered pan and bake for approximately 25 minutes. The brownies are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Caramel Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

¼ teaspoon fresh lemon juice

¼ cup cold water

½ cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon salt

Sea salt or fleur de sel for garnish

Stir the sugar, lemon juice, and water together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until large bubbles form and the mixture turns a dark amber color, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Gently swirl the pan to even out the color rather than stirring. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the cream. The mixture will bubble up and when the bubbling subsides, whisk in the butter until completely melted. Add the vanilla and salt. Pour the caramel topping over the brownies and let cool for 45 minutes, then chill for at least 1 hour. Sprinkle with sea salt or fleur de sel before serving.

With minor adjustments, I used this recipe: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/caramel-pecan-chocolate-brownies.aspx