A cross between the two favourite classic treats out there, the love child of the chocolate brownie and millionaires shortbread. Is this even allowed? I don't know. Why weren't these made sooner? I don't know. Is this just pure witchcraft? I don't know. But what I do know is if heaven was a bite, it would be a bite of one of these. The gooey chocolate brownie topped with the silky salted caramel and a crunchy chocolate top. Perfect way to get through all that chocolate at Easter time, and any other time of the year now you come to mention it.
Makes: 15
Cooking time: 2.5 hours including cooling time
Ingredients:
For the Brownies:
- 175g Butter
- 350g of Golden Caster Sugar
- Dash of Vanilla Essence
- 3 eggs
- 100g Plain Flour
- 1 tsp of Baking Powder
- 75g Cocoa Powder
For the Salted Caramel:
- 300g Granulated Sugar
- 135g Butter
- 225ml Double cream
- Salt
Toppings:
- Mini Eggs
- Chocolate Easter Eggs
Instructions:
- Start off by making the brownies. Pre-heat the oven to 180℃ (Fan), and line a tin with baking parchment (be generous with this as you want high sides of baking parchment for the caramel layer later).
- Melt the butter on the hob slowly before pouring into a mixing bowl with the sugar.
- Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl and add a little at a time, stirring to ensure it's all combined before adding the next lot. Repeat until all mixed in, and add a dash of vanilla essence.
- Weigh out the flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder and sieve into the wet mix.
- Fold in the flour slowly, making sure you don’t knock all the air out- I use a big metal spoon at this point. Stir until all combined.
- Pour the brownie mix into the baking tray and put in the oven for ~ 25 - 30 minutes depending how gooey you like them.
- Test with a knife but be aware they will continue cooking slightly so don’t be afraid to get them out when they still look a bit underdone.
- Leave them in the tray to cool as you will need this for building up the rest of the layers.
- When the brownies have been out of the oven ~ 10 minutes, start making the salted caramel. I highly recommend having all the ingredients weighed out as things happen quickly.
- Put the granulated sugar into a saucepan and stir constantly with a wooden spoon over a medium heat. This will begin to form clumps after a while, before beginning to melt into an amber-colored syrup.
- Once all the sugar is melted, immediately put in the butter, stirring quickly and continuously. It will begin to rise up the pan and bubble so be careful. Stir this until all the butter is melted, about 2 minutes.
- Slowly drizzle in the cream, again continuing to stir. As the caramel will need to be thick enough to set when cooled, it will require staying on the heat for a while allowing it to thicken up. It will be bubbling quickly so make sure to continue stirring. This will take ~ 5 minutes. You can tell when it is ready by putting a cold teaspoon into coat with some caramel and, when removed, waiting to see if it is thick enough not to drip from the spoon as it begins to cool.
- Take off the heat and add salt to taste. Set to one side to cool for 10 minutes before pouring over the brownies, and placing the tray flat in the fridge to cool.
- Finally, crush up your Easter eggs to your heart's content using a rolling pin and that hidden frustration, before placing on the caramel layer after about 20 minutes cooling time in the fridge.
- Return to the fridge for an hour to completely cool and set.
Serving Note: Best served with a lovely mug of Tea in Sophie Allport's Easter range and a matching jug of daffodils. Bliss.
