Small Batch Fudgy Caramel Brownies
Squidgy, fudgy, gooey caramel brownies - interested?
When it comes to small batch baking, I feel like brownies are usually one of the top choices of desserts to bake. They’re quick, they’re easy and they’re universally loved. Like, who doesn’t love a brownie? And more specifically, who doesn’t love a brownie covered in caramel?
This isn’t the first brownie recipe I’ve developed, but these caramel brownies are slightly different from my small batch spelt brownies. That recipe results in a soft and fluffy textured brownie, which is the kind I personally grew up eating. But these are the kind that you’ll find in a bakery, the type you’d only eat every now and then because they’re so rich and so indulgent. Best eaten warm, but they’re pretty damn good when they’re cold too.
Recipe / serves 6-8
Ingredients
55g dark chocolate, between 50%-70%
55g butter
1 egg, at room temperature
50g castor / superfine sugar
50g light brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
30g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 tbsp caramel, homemade or shop bought
Method
Line a bread loaf tin with parchment paper, and preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F.
Add the dark chocolate and butter to a bowl, then place over a saucepan with a little water just about covering the bottom. Make sure the bowl isn't touching the water! Leave to melt on a low heat, stirring every now and then. Once it's fully melted, remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Meanwhile, whisk together the egg, caster sugar, light brown sugar and vanilla until well incorporated and a little frothy.
Add a little of the melted chocolate to the mixture, whisking it in fully before adding a little more. Doing this in batches helps ensure that egg doesn't scramble with the heat of the melted chocolate - see the recipe notes below.
Sift in the flour and salt, then fold gently until no dry streaks remain.
Pour into the prepared baking tin, then spoon the caramel over the top. Using a knife, move the caramel around to create some beautiful swirls.
Bake in the oven for 18-22 minutes, until a skewer poked through the brownies comes out clean. Allow to cool a little in the tin for about 5 minutes before removing. Leave them to cool for 5-10 minutes more before slicing into either 6 or 8 pieces and devouring.
Notes
Ingredients
When it comes to brownies, you really need to use dark chocolate, somewhere between 50% -70%. Don't be tempted to use milk chocolate - it's just too sweet.
It helps to heat up your caramel slightly if it’s a little too thick, or if it was being kept in the fridge. Allowing it to warm up a little will make it easier to swirl around on the top of your brownies.
The egg needs to be at room temperature and the melted butter and chocolate need to be cooled slightly before using. You do not want to add a cold egg to a hot butter mixture - you'll end up with scrambled eggs, which isn't ideal.
Storage
These brownies will keep really well in an airtight container for up to four days on the kitchen counter. They also keep in the freezer for up to three months.