outrageous brownies...

mmmm... those look delicious don't they... my teeth are just aching from how sweet these brownies are... they are just pure indulgence... deep rich fudgy brownies, topped with salt caramel, dark chocolate ganache, pecans and chocolate chips and toffee chips... whew...now that's a taste overload...

somehow my brownies went from just plain ol' brownies... to turtle brownies... to outrageous... and let me tell you... these are amazing...

fudgy brownies
ingredients:
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
8 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
4 1/2 oz flour (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons natural cocoa (not Dutch-processed)

directions:
1. preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 9x9 pan and set in parchment paper, letting the two ends hang over the edge and grease the parchment
2. place the chopped chocolate and the butter in a metal bowl, and set it over a double boils, stir the mixture until the smooth and the chocolate has melted completely
3. remove from the heat and let cool slightly, then whisk in the sugar, salt, and vanilla, then add in the eggs, one at a time, stirring until combined and smooth
4. sift in the flour and cocoa, and whisk into batter to combine
5. scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula, then bake brownies 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean
6. let the brownies cool in the pan for a few minutes, then lift the brownies out of the pan, transfer them to a wire rack and let cool completely before cutting into bars

for salt caramel topping:
ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
3/4 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract *optional, but i always use it :)

directions:
1. in a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water and corn syrup and bring to a boil
2. using a wet pastry brush, wash down any crystals on the side of the pan
3. boil over high heat until a deep amber caramel forms, about 6 minutes
4. remove the saucepan from the heat and carefully whisk in the cream (this will bubble up so be careful!), followed by the butter and salt, then vanilla extract
5. let the caramel cool to room temperature before using

for brownie assembly:
well... just go bananas... cover them with as much or as little of your choice of toppings... my choices: pecans, toffee and chocolate chips, ganache and lots of ooey gooey caramel... what a feast! :) but just be careful... a little sliver of these goes alooooooooong way... :)

hope you enjoyed this bit of indulgence... and as always...

happy baking everybody! :)