If you’re looking for an inexpensive brownie recipe, I can guarantee you this is not the recipe for you; I suggest you go buy a box mix instead, and miss out on this incredible dessert. However, if you want to make an absolutely decadent, mouth-watering brownie, with a touch of saltiness, this is the recipe to try. I made these earlier this year for a 4th of July Crab-Boil we had at our house, and decided I would be making them over and over again, after the first bite out of one. They are definitely not something I would make every day, because I feel like every pan, dish, spatula, and measuring cup in the house is dirty afterwards; but they are perfect for events that require something just a little bit special.
The special event this time was Emmapalooza. B.O.B. Bob and I were invited to a backyard party thrown by our new friends Otto, Diana, and their 6-month old daughter, Emma. She’s about the cutest little girl you could ever imagine, and like her parents, seems to love being surrounded with people and music. Several musicians joined together to entertain us with an evening of wonderful music. It was also lovely to catch up with Ben again, the person responsible for introducing us to our newest friends, and to hear all about his and his better half Andrea’s recent vacation to OBX, which I am insanely jealous of. Thank you Ben for introducing us to such a wonderful couple, and I hope you got to enjoy a brownie before they ran out. What a wonderful way to end the summer, which I am a little reluctant to let go of.
The upside to it being the close of summer is that Halloween is just waiting around the corner. As soon as our gutters get attached to the house this week, Halloween can begin. I’m sure the neighborhood children will be happy to see the countdown sign up later this week. B.O.B. Bob and I spent part of Labor Day cleaning out the attic, and now all of the decorations are just waiting to be put up. In the meantime, Brenna gets to play in the plastic box fort that has invaded our home office.
I bought this wonderful little Halloween bodysuit for Emma from Old Navy. Every little girl needs a special Halloween outfit, and this one is insanely cute. Who wouldn’t fall in love with anything with an adorable Halloween kitty on it?
MAJOR MISHAP: I forgot just how low on sugar I was, which meant I was a 1/4-cup short of the sugar I needed for the cream cheese mixture. B.O.B. Bob was nice enough to run to the store for me thankfully, even though he was busy in the garage, putting an attic fan in. Big thanks to him for making my day a little bit easier, and his just a little bit harder. I can’t believe how much sugar I’ve gone through in the past month; I think I’m going to have to start buying in bulk pretty soon. Make sure you have everything you need before attempting this recipe; it will make things go a lot smoother.
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter
- 8 (1-oz.) Squares Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
- 3 1/4 Cups Granulated Sugar, Divided
- 6 Large Eggs, Divided
- 2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
- 1 3/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 (8-oz.) Package Cream Cheese, Softened
- 1 (10-oz.) Jar of Trader Joe’s Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a 13×9-inch glass baking dish with aluminum foil, and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small saucepan, combine butter and chocolate. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
- Remove saucepan from heat and let cool.
- In a large bowl, cream 3-cups of sugar, 5 eggs, and vanilla at medium-high speed with a mixer for 6 minutes. Mixture should be pale and fluffy.
- Reduce speed to medium-low, and gradually add flour, beating just until combined.
- Stir in chocolate mixture with a spatula, until well combined.
- Reserve 1-cup of the batter.
- Pour remaining batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, remaining 1/4-cup sugar, and remaining egg at medium speed with a mixer until smooth.
- Drop cream cheese mixture by tablespoonfuls over the batter in the baking dish.
- Drizzle with caramel.
- Drop tablespoonfuls of reserved batter over the caramel.
- Using a knife, swirl together cream cheese mixture, caramel, and top layer of batter.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until brownies are set in the center.
- Let cool completely before cutting.
- Store brownies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Suggestions:
- Make sure you have all of the ingredients necessary for the recipe before you start.
- You can substitute caramel ice cream topping if you don’t have a Trader Joe’s in your area to get the Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce, but trust me, it won’t be nearly as good.
- After brownies have cooled, place in the fridge for several hours before cutting. It will give you a better chance of cutting perfect brownie squares.
Improvements:
- Add 1/2 Teaspoon of Espresso Powder to your batter.
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter
- 8 (1-oz.) Squares Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
- 3 1/4 Cups Granulated Sugar, Divided
- 6 Large Eggs, Divided
- 2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
- 1 3/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 (8-oz.) Package Cream Cheese, Softened
- 1 (10-oz.) Jar of Trader Joe's Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a 13x9-inch glass baking dish with aluminum foil, and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small saucepan, combine butter and chocolate. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
- Remove saucepan from heat and let cool.
- In a large bowl, cream 3-cups of sugar, 5 eggs, and vanilla at medium-high speed with a mixer for 6 minutes. Mixture should be pale and fluffy.
- Reduce speed to medium-low, and gradually add flour, beating just until combined.
- Stir in chocolate mixture with a spatula, until well combined.
- Reserve 1-cup of the batter.
- Pour remaining batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, remaining 1/4-cup sugar, and remaining egg at medium speed with a mixer until smooth.
- Drop cream cheese mixture by tablespoonfuls over the batter in the baking dish.
- Drizzle with caramel.
- Drop tablespoonfuls of reserved batter over the caramel.
- Using a knife, swirl together cream cheese mixture, caramel, and top layer of batter.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until brownies are set in the center.
- Let cool completely before cutting.
- Store brownies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
ORIGINALLY POSTED 09/03/2013
