Salted Caramel Brownies

Mmmm who doesn't love salted caramel. And who doesn't love a dessert where there is great pay off for being impatient and taking them out of the oven early. These brownies are the best sellers on my dessert menu!

Warning. Don't eat the brownies straight out of the oven...I'm not responsible for any sugar burns that may occur!

Gather your shit
SALTED CARAMEL
200g granulated sugar
90g salted butter
120ml double cream
1tsp sea salt

BROWNIES
150g fairtrade dark chocolate
150g butter
250g golden caster sugar
3 free range eggs
1 vanilla pod
100g flour

Preheat your oven to 180/gas 4

Let's get salty

1. Line a small tray with baking paper and rub oil onto the surface.
2. Put your sugar into a saucepan on a medium heat and watch it like a hawk until almost all of the sugar grains have melted.
3. Add your butter and stir in. It's going to get quite feisty so watch out for a splashes of molten sugar! Beat for a minute
4. Sprinkle your sea salt and add the cream to the mixture. Let it bubble up for 60 seconds then beat for a further 2 minutes.
5. Take off the heat and pour onto the lined and greased tray. Put it in the freezer to harden whilst you make your brownies.

Brownie time

1. Set up a saucepan of boiling water on your stove with a bowl resting on top. Make sure the water level isn't touching the base of the bowl!
2. Put the dark chocolate and butter into the bowl and stir until the mixture has melted and combined
3. Take the bowl off the heat, add the sugar and stir in.
4. Add the eggs to the mixture one at a time, making sure they are fully incorporated
5. Slice open a vanilla pod and scrape the seeds into the mixture.
6. Add the flour and give it all a good old mix making sure the mixture is smooth and lump free.
7. Line and grease a small brownie tin. Add the mixture and smooth it down.
8. Go grab your salted caramel out of the freezer. It should have hardened but still be malleable.
9. Slice into chunks and distribute haphazardly over the brownie. Push them into the mix so they are just below the surface.
10. Bake for 25 minutes until it has just cooked. You don't want to over do it and miss out on gooey only just cooked brownie in the middle.
11. Let the brownies cool for half an hour. Seriously. Caramel burns are no joke.

These brownies can be made vegan by substituting butter and cream for coconut oil and coconut milk :)

Enjoy!