Gooey caramel, crunchy nuts… these brownies are to die for. The ultimate treat when you want it all, these crunchy chewy brownies get their fabulous flavor from Hotel Chocolat’s ‘Salted Carameland Pecan Chocolate spread’. A sprinkle of sea salt lends added sophistication.
They’re fudgy, not at all cakey, ridiculously rich, boldly chocolaty, and loaded with texture. There’s a salted caramel and pecan filling that’s sandwiched inside dense brownies, and there’s more pecans sprinkled on top.
Brownies should be full of chocolate, good quality chocolate. In this recipe I used 100g of 70% Dark chocolate and 100g of 50% Sea salt dark chocolate.
Please DO NOT OVER BAKE! This is crucial to your brownies being the best and to achieving that perfect texture. They need to firm up on the outside yet have the moist indulgent centre.
I’ve baked these brownies more than once already and I absolutely love, love, love them. The caramel and pecan flavours work so well with the ridiculously gooey brownie!
The hardest part is waiting for the brownies to cool completely before slicing. There’s too much fudginess, drippy caramel, and melted chocolate to slice into until they’ve cooled completely. Slicing too early will result in a hot, gooey mess. I prefer brownies this rich to be served slightly chilled.
These were show-stoppers and without a doubt, one of the best recipes made in 2015.
- 200g unsalted butter
- 100g dark chocolate, 70% coco solids
- 100g dark sea salt chocolate, 50% coco solids
- 397g can Carnation caramel
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 200g golden caster sugar
- 4 medium eggs, at room temperature
- 100g plain flour, plus 2 tbsp
- 50g coco powder
- 100g Pecan nuts
- Heat oven to 180C.
- Grease then line a 23cm square traybake tin with baking parchment.
- Melt the butter in a medium pan, break in all the chocolate, then remove the pan from the heat and wait for the chocolate to melt.
- In a small bowl, mix 175g of the caramel with 1 tsp sea salt, set aside.
- Put the rest of the caramel in a large bowl with the sugar and eggs, and beat with an electric mixer or with a balloon whisk until combined.
- Whisk in the chocolate and butter.
- In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa and a good pinch of table salt, then sift this on top of the chocolate mix. Beat briefly until smooth. Do not over mix.
- Pour half the brownie batter into the tin and level it with a spatula. Spoon the salted caramel on top of the batter layer. Then sprinkle 50g of chopped pecans on top of the caramel. Spoon the rest of the brownie batter on top and smooth it out, trying not to disturb the caramel beneath. Finally add the remaining pecan nuts whole or roughly chopped on top.
- Bake for 25-30 mins or until risen all the way to the middle with a firm crust around the edges yet when you shake the tin the brownie should jiggle a little in the centre.
- Let it cool completely in the tin, then cut into squares.
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