Salted Caramel Brownies

Ina Garten has the best brownie recipe in the world in her new book foolproof.  I made it yesterday to offset the fabulous stuffed cabbage.

Ingredients:

2 sticks of unsalted butter

14 oz. semisweet chocolate chips, divided 8oz. & 6 oz.

3 oz unsweetened chocolate

3 extra large eggs

1 ½ T instant coffee granules

1 T vanilla extract

1 C plus 2 T sugar

½ C plus 2T all-purpose flour, divided

1 ½ t baking powder

½ t kosher salt

5-6 oz. good caramel sauce

2-3 t flaked sea salt, such as Maldon (available at Williams Sonoma)

Directions:

1.       Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a 9”x 12” x 1 ½”baking pan.

2.       Melt the butter, 8oz. chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate together in a medium bowl set over simmering water.

3.       Allow to cool for 15 minutes.

4.       In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee, vanilla, and sugar.  Stir the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.  (Important so as not to melt the remaining chocolate chips when you add them.)

5.       In a small bowl, sift together ½ C of the flour, the baking powder, and slat and add to the chocolate mixture. 

6.       Toss the remaining 6 oz. of flour in a medium bowl and add to the chocolate mixture. (I also put in walnuts as Jim has to have walnuts in his brownies)

7.       Spread evenly in the prepared pan.

8.       Bake for 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  Don’t over bake! (Now that I have calibrated my oven with a good oven thermador, the time was perfect.)

9.       As soon as the brownies are out of the oven, place the jar of caramel sauce without the lid in a microwave and heat just until it’s pourable.  (This is fast, and I’d put a plate under the jar unless you want to clean the glass plate in the microwave as it boils over.)  Stir until smooth.  Drizzle the caramel evenly over the hot brownies and sprinkle with the sea salt. 

10.   Cool completely and cut into 12 bars.