"An opaque, gentle, vulnerable day,
as if it had been making love all night,
a day when the past has no bitter taste,
when the future retreats without a fight…" ~Vera Pavlova, If There Is Something To Desire
I used to loathe mid-January - with its stark, almost-industrial ambiance and icy fingers that reach through every exposed crack in my drafty house. Now, little by little, we are starting to develop a mutual respect for each other. It's a tentative relationship- we're still both tiptoeing on egg shells during my chilly morning showers and windy three blanket nights- but I think we are ready to sit down and have a cup of bittersweet snow tea.
January ignites my love for cosy comfort food- all things laden with butter, and cream, and salt, and yes, even chocolate. To return January's aloof favour, I promised to not complain about its frigidity- too much. And to bake decadent, dramatic brownies that are so sinfully rich, you have to squeeze your eyes shut *tightly now* whilst biting into one.
I have made a lot brownies in my lifetime, including salty turtle brownies and salty fudge brownies- both were spectacular, and worth revisiting. But there is something special about this recipe that I can't quite put my finger on...a quiet understated depth that surpasses every other brownie.
Aside from the fact that they're fudgy, indulgent, and perfectly salted, they have a lovely ribbon of caramel running through the dark chocolate batter like sweet molten lava. It's not overpowering- in fact most people didn't even realize that caramel was part of the brownie- they just knew that these brownies were irresistible and "different, but in a good way."
This recipe will leave you with a lot of pots and bowls to clean but I've discovered that sometimes it's the tedious recipes that yield the tastiest results. And these brownies are just the thing to keep your bellies warm and happy as you snuggle up under layers of blankets with a flashlight and favourite book; Currently I'm reading Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin- perfect mid winter reading as the cold winds are rising... ;-)
Sweet and Salty Brownies
makes about 15-20 brownies
for the caramel
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon fleur de sel
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup waterfor the brownie
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
11 ounces quality dark chocolate (60-70% cacao), coarsely chopped
1 cup (that's 2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar (light or dark)
5 room temperature eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
for the topping
1 1/2 teaspoons fleur de sel
1 teaspoon coarse sugar
method
Prepare the caramel: Have the heavy cream, salt, and sour cream measured out (separately) and ready to go.
In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, maple syrup, and water. Gently pat everything down so that the sugar is completely moistened- try to to splash the sides of the pan. Without stirring, cook over med-high heat until an instant-read thermometer reads 350 F, or until the mixture turns deep amber in colour (about 6-10 minutes depending on the heat). As the caramel is cooking, swirl the pan around from time to time-using the handle- this will prevent it from burning in "hot" spots. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly add the heavy cream (be very careful, it will bubble and hiss). Add the fleur de sel and sour cream and whisk until smooth. {Note: If the sour cream clumps up, return the pan to a low heat and whisk vigorously until it smooths out.} Set the caramel aside to *cool as you prepare the brownies.
*Whilst preparing the brownies, give the caramel a good stir from time to time- this will prevent it from hardening.
Prepare the brownies: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter the sides and bottom of a glass (or light coloured metal) 9 x 13-inch pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the parchment.In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder; Set aside.
Place the chopped chocolate and butter into a large, heat-proof bowl. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water. {Note: When creating a double boiler, make sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the simmering water.} Melt the chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally, until completely smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the simmering water. Add both sugars and whisk until completely combined. Remove the bowl from the pan. (The mixture should be at room temperature.)
Add three eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Add the remaining 2 eggs and whisk again until just combined. Add the vanilla and stir to combine. {Note: At this stage, try not to overbeat the batter...a light hand will keep the brownies nice and fudgy.}
Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate and, using a large rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until there is just a trace amount of the flour mixture visible.
Pour about half of the brownie mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Drizzle about 3/4 cup of the caramel sauce over the brownie layer in a zigzag pattern- be sure the caramel does not come in contact with the edges of the pan (to prevent burning). Use a small off-set spatula to spread the caramel evenly across the brownie layer. Drop the remaining brownie batter onto the caramel layer using heaping spoonfuls. Carefully smooth the brownie batter into an even layer over the caramel. Drizzle any remaining caramel over the brownie layer and use the off-set spatula to gently swirl it through the batter. {Note: Don't swirl too much, just a few light up and down strokes should do the trick.}
Bake for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. The brownies are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs. {Note: My brownies took about 36 minutes to bake, but my oven is very temperamental.}
Remove the pan from the oven and onto a cooling rack. Sprinkle the hot brownies with the fleur de sel and coarse sugar. Cool completely before *slicing and serving.
*The brownies are very sticky and difficult to cut. I found that a sharp knife dipped in hot water did the trick!
adapted from Baked Explorations ♥
