When Hilary posted about these, I knew I was going to have to try them. Chocolate, caramel, and sea salt... that's gotta be some kind of holy trinity, right? They did not disappoint. They are best served cold, which makes them easier to get out of the pan, so imagine a chewy, gooey, chocolatey, caramely bite (or several) with the slight crunch of salt. I'm not sure why the salt doesn't dissolve during baking, but the hint of it offsets the brownies' sweetness beautifully. The caramel infuses the entire brownie, so they're dense and moist (still have to find a better synonym) with surprise pockets of caramel. Check out the brownie on the right with the caramel on the bottom. Mmm!
Caramel Fleur de Sel Brownies
4 squares (4 ounces) unsweetened chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups (14 ounces) sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups (6 3/8 ounces) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts (optional - I opted not)
5.5 ounces thick caramel sauce
3/4 teaspoon flaked sea salt, divided
Preheat the oven to 350F. Melt the chocolate and butter over low heat (or in the microwave, in 30 second bursts). Beat in sugar and eggs. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt, and then stir the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture. Stir in nuts, if using.
Spray a 9x13" pan with cooking spray. Pour half the batter into the pan and spread. Spoon half the caramel sauce over the brownie batter, in dollops, and then use a knife to swirl the caramel and brownie batter. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Pour the remaining batter over, and then spoon the remaining caramel sauce over. Swirl again, and then sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the brownies leave a slight imprint when pressed with a finger. (Hilary notes that the top should appear slightly dull, but I've made these twice and mine looked kind of shiny and dimpled both times.)
Notes: I cut these with my fun zigzag brownie cutters, but they didn't cut perfectly cleanly; I think a regular knife would work better next time. I also might continue to experiment with the kind of caramel sauce I use, or even make my own.
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