Homemade Salted Carmel Espresso Brownies

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Yes I said it. Salt. Carmel. Chocolate. Espresso. Brownies! Being away from the kitchen for a while just made me even more inspired to cook or in this case bake! Lately I have been busy but that is no excuse! My parents always said if you really want to do something then make time for it. Lets just say that I always have time for anything food! Salty and sweet have been getting tied together a lot more lately. Do you want to know why? It is because savory and sweet are filled with all of the things we like to eat! Not to mention that these brownies in particular are meant to satisfy cravings! Here is my recipe!

Ingredients and directions for the brownie base
1 3/4 cups of semisweet chocolate roughly chopped
handful of chocolate chips to layer in between the brownie batter before going in the oven
1 stick unsalted butter cut into quarters
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
3 eggs
1¼ cups granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
Salted Caramel (recipe is below)
Fleur de Sel or Sea Salt

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle row and pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 8 by 8 square baking pan. Line the pan with a piece of parchment paper, so that it is both easy clean up and easy to get the brownies out of the pan. Grease the parchment paper.
2. In a double-boiler simmer water, and melt the chocolate and butter. Stirring until smooth. Whisk in the cocoa powder and espresso powder until evenly incorperated. Set aside to cool.
3. Whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a bowl until combined. Temper the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture; then stir in the flour until everything is evenly mixed. Pour about half of the brownie mixture into the pan. Make sure that it is evenly spread out. Put about 11 tsp. of the salted caramel on top of the brownie batter. Add some chocolate chips.  Top with the remaining brownie mixture, spread into the corners and level the surface with a spatula. Again, Put about 11 tsp. of the salted caramel on top of the brownie batter. Add some chocolate chips. Sprinkle a bit of Fleur de Sel on top.
4. Bake until the edges start to pull away. About 30 to 45 minutes depending on your oven and the way you like your brownies. If you like them undercooked and sticky go for less if you like them hard and crumbly cook them even longer and if you like them chewy go halfway! Sprinkle some sea salt on top and let them cool on a wire rack. Remove the brownies from the pan using the parchment paper and put on a cutting board. Remove the parchment paper and cut into squares. Make them as big or small as you like. A cute idea is to make them small like little petit fours.

Salted Carmel Ingredients and Directions:
1 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter
1 teaspoon Fleur de Sel or sea salt
2/3 cup room temperature whole milk

In a saucepan, heat the sugar over medium-high heat. Whisk constantly as the sugar begins to melt. Continue to cook the sugar until it reaches a dark amber color. At this indication, add the butter and fleur de sel and whisk until melted. Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the heavy cream (expect a reaction to occur). Whisk until smooth. Allow to cool for 15 mins before using in the brownies. The extra carmel can be refrigerated and then reheated. 

Happy Eatings