By Tracey
Sweet and Salty Brownies
from Baked Explorations
Ingredients:
Caramel
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon fleur de sel
- 1/4 cup sour cream
Brownies
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 11 oz bittersweet (or semisweet) chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into smaller pieces
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fleur de sel
- 1 teaspoon coarse sugar
Directions:
To make the caramel: Add the sugar, corn syrup and water to a medium saucepan and stir gently to combine. Set the pan over medium-high heat and cook until the mixture registers 350 F on a candy thermometer (if you don’t have a thermometer cook until the mixture is amber in color). Turn off the heat under the pan and slowly add the cream (the caramel will bubble up quite a bit so be mindful) then the fleur de sel. Stir in the sour cream until the mixture is smooth. Let cool while you work on the brownies.
To make the brownies: Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9×13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line the pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on opposite sides so you can lift the brownies out afterward.
Whisk the flour, salt and cocoa powder together in a medium bowl. Add the chocolate and butter to a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until both are melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the pan and bowl from the heat, but leave the bowl sitting on top of the pan. Add both sugars to the bowl and whisk until well combined. Remove the bowl from the pan. Crack three eggs into the batter, whisking to incorporate just until combined. Add the remaining 2 eggs, again whisking only until just combined. Stir in the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and use a rubber spatula to fold them in until just a few streaks of flour remain.
Pour half of the brownie batter into the prepared pan and spread in an even layer. Add 3/4 cup of the caramel (don’t use it all) on top of the brownie batter and spread evenly – try to keep it away from the sides of the pan or it might burn as it cooks. Drop heaping spoonfuls of the brownie batter over the caramel and spread as best you can to cover the caramel. It won’t be perfect, don’t worry too much about it.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and sprinkle the tops with the fleur de sel and coarse sugar. Let the brownies cool completely before lifting them out and cutting them into squares.
Store the brownies tightly wrapped at room temperature. They also freeze well.
