Ultimate Turtle Brownies

I found this recipe on a fabulous blog that I recently discovered, Dinner and Dessert I think we have the same taste because I truly want to make everything on her blog!

I have been wanting to make caramel sauce for sometime now, I've always been a little intimidated...not as hard as I thought! I served these with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce at Girl's Night. Very yummy!

Ultimate Turtle Brownies

source: Dinner and Dessert via Cooks Illustrated May 2006

Caramel:

1/4 c heavy cream plus 2 additional Tbsp.

1/4 tsp. table salt

1/4 c water

2 Tbsp. light corn syrup

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Brownies:

8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3 tsp. baking powder

2 large eggs, room temp.

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. table salt

2/3 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Garnish:

25 pecan halves, toasted

( I sprinkled chopped pecans on instead)

To Make the Caramel: Combine cream and salt in a small bowl. Stir well to dissolve the salt.

Combine water and corn syrup in a 2-3 quart saucepan. Pour sugar into center taking care not to let granules touch side of pan. Gently stir with spatula to moisten sugar thoroughly. Cover and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Cook covered, and without stirring until sugar is dissolved, and liquid is clear, 3 to 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, without stirring, until bubbles show faint golden color, 3 to 5 minutes more. Reduce heat to medium-low. Continue to cook (swirling occasionally) until caramel is light amber and registers about 360 degrees on candy or instant-read thermometer. 1 to 3 minutes longer. Remove saucepan from heat and carefully add cream to center of pan, stir with whisk or spatula (mixture will bubble and steam vigorously) until fully incorporated and bubbles subside. Stir in vanilla and butter. Transfer to microwave safe glass measuring cup or bowl and set aside

To Make the Brownies: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly spray 9-inch square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line pan with foil so edges on all sides over-hang. Spray foil with cooking spray.

Melt butter, bittersweet, and unsweetened chocolate in medium heat-proof bowl over barely simmering water, stirring occasionally. Do not let water touch bottom of bowl. When smooth and combined remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Meanwhile whisk together the flour and baking soda in a small bowl, set aside. In a large bowl whisk together eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla until incorporated. When chocolate has cooled slightly, add to egg mixture. Whisk until well combined. Add flour mixture, stir with rubber spatula until almost combined. Add chopped pecans and chocolate chips, mix until incorporated and no flour streaks remain,

Distribute half the brownie batter in prepared pan, spread evenly. Drizzle scant 1/4 cup caramel over batter. Drop remaining batter in large mounds over caramel layer, spread evenly and into corners with spatula. Drizzle additional scant 1/4 cup caramel over top. Using tip of butter knife, swirl caramel and batter. Bake brownies until toothpick inserted into center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached. About 35 to 40 minutes. Cool brownies on wire rack to room temperature, 1 1/2 hours.

Heat remaining caramel in microwave until warm and pourable, but still thick, do not boil (45 to 60 seconds, stirring once or twice) Pour caramel over brownies. Using spatula spread evenly to cover surface. at this point I sprinkled remaining pecans over top. Refrigerate uncovered at least 2 hours. Remove from pan using foil overhang as handles. Remove foil and slice. Let come to room temperature. We served with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.