Caramel Brownies  - April, 2018.

If you already have your tax refund, you should be rewarded.  If you are like the rest of us and frantically organizing receipts to give your accountant, you deserve something gooey and good.

Caramel brownies are perfect for both situations. 

Find the recipe in Fat Witch Cookbook pages 60-62

• Ingredients
• 14 tablespoons (1 ¾ sticks) unsalted butter 
• 4 ounces bittersweet (60% cacao and above) chocolate 
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup unbleached flour 
• Pinch of salt 
• 30 caramel cubes (unwrapped) 
• 2 tablespoons warm water 

•  
• Directions
• Grease a 9” square baking pan with butter or vegetable oil. Dust with flour and tap out the excess.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Melt the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently.  When melted, remove the pan from heat and let cool to room temperature.
• Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla until smooth.  Add the cooled chocolate/butter and mix until well-combined. 
• Measure the flour and salt and sift them directly into the chocolate batter.  Mix until combined and no trace of the flour remains. 
• Pour half the batter evenly into the prepared pan.  Set the pan aside. 
• Put the caramel cubes in a microwaveable bowl with the water.  Microwave on medium power and check every 60 seconds or until the caramels have melted into a thick liquid.  Remove the bowl from the microwave and let cool for 5 minutes.  Whisk the caramel with a fork for consistency.
• Pour the liquid caramel over the batter in the pan.  Do not pour all the way to the edges.  Don’t worry about covering every spot.  Place the pan in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.  The caramel should be set (not able to move). 
• Remove the pan from the refrigerator and spread the remaining batter evenly on top.  Let the pan sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before putting in the oven.
• Bake for 35 minutes or until the edges are pulling away from the sides of the pan.  Insert a toothpick in the center to make certain no batter is uncooked (caramel okay!).
• Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a rack for 1 hour.  Cut just before serving. 
• Makes 12 to 18 brownies.