Possibly the best brownies I've ever had or made, and definitely my husband's new favorite. It's a one-bowl recipe that's whisked together in 5 minutes and produces ridiculously rich and fudgy brownies with zero cakiness. They're made with cocoa powder rather than melted chocolate, and ff you think cocoa powder brownies are inferior to melted chocolate brownies, these will change your mind. Not too sweet; very deep, dark, and rich. They’re a dark chocolate and fudge lover’s dream, with big chunks of caramel baked in. Ready from start to finish in 30 minutes - as easy as using a boxed mix with results that taste a zillion times better.
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time25 minutesmins
Total Time30 minutesmins
Course: Brownies
Servings: 9
Calories: 353kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
10tablespoonsunsalted butter
1 ¼cupsgranulated sugar
¾cupsplus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powdernatural or Dutch-process, I used natural
¼teaspoonsaltoptional and to taste (I did not use salt, personal preference)
1teaspoonvanilla extractoriginal recipe is 1/2 teaspoon
2large eggscold
½cupall-purpose flourweighing nearly 2.5 ounces or 65 grams
20caramelsunwrapped (about 1/3 cup very thick, good-quality caramel sauce may be substitued and swirled or marbled over the surface)
Instructions
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat oven to 325F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil leaving overhang on the sides, spray with cooking spray; set pan aside.
In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, sugar, cocoa, optional salt, and heat on high power to melt, about 45 seconds. Stop to stir, and heat in 10-second bursts until mixture has melted and can be stirred smooth (mine took 45 seconds + 15 seconds). Batter will be very granular.
Add the vanilla, eggs, and stir vigorously until batter is thick, shiny, and well blended. Add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with a wooden spoon (I used metal) or a rubber spatula. Pour batter evenly into the prepared pan.
Add caramels in four rows of 5 across, pressing each caramel down into the batter so that the top surface of the caramel is nearly flush with the batter surface. They should be wedged in quite deep but not bottoming-out and not touching the bottom of the pan or they'll be prone to sticking to it.
Bake until a toothpick in the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes, is Alice's suggestion, but I think this is too short. I baked for 25 minutes, checked with a toothpick and it emerged soupy/watery at 25 minutes. I baked for 28 minutes total.
I recommend baking 25 minutes, checking with a toothpick, and baking for up to 5 more minutes, as necessary. Do not bake over 30 minutes or brownies will be prone to scorching, burning, turning dry, or setting up too hard. Brownies will firm up as they cool. I recommend cooling brownies on counter in the pan for 1 hour, covering pan with a piece of foil (to prevent fridge smells) and placing pan in refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight, to cool completely before slicing if you want clean-cuts because they're so fudgy; using a pizza wheel may help if brownies are sticking to your knife.
Brownies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. I prefer them chilled and keep them in the fridge. The caramel gets a touch hard, but softens in a few minutes at room temp.