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smores

S’mores Brownies

 Smores Brownies %The Baker Chick

Did you have a good weekend? Mine was really great actually- Andy and I saw Iron Man 3 (loved it,) had some yummy Cinco de Mayo margaritas and on Saturday ventured to Brooklyn for to donate a batch of these brownies to the NYC Bake Sale. It was held at the Brooklyn Flea market (which I’ve always wanted to visit) and was a huge success! (They raised over 3,000 for No Kid Hungry!)

 Smores Brownies %The Baker Chick

 Smores Brownies %The Baker Chick


brownies

Fudgy Guiniess Brownies with Whiskey Caramel Glaze

 Fudgy Guiniess Brownies with Whiskey Caramel Glaze %The Baker Chick

Given my Irish roots, (my granddad James McCann was a full-blooded Irishman,) and the fact that my hubby has a fair amount of Irish blood as well, I couldn’t possibly let St. Patrick’s day go by without at least one themed treat. I’ll be in Paris on Sunday (omg) and won’t get to celebrate (which really only entails wearing green and eating some corned beef,) but eating these delicious brownies was good enough for me.

These brownies on their own don’t taste super boozy, and the addition of the stout really just adds a richness and depth of flavor. The caramel glaze brings a nice kick of whiskey, but that isn’t over-powering either, just a nice addition to the super chocolatey flavor from the brownies.

 Fudgy Guiniess Brownies with Whiskey Caramel Glaze %The Baker Chick

 Fudgy Guiniess Brownies with Whiskey Caramel Glaze %The Baker Chick


IMG_1851

Gooey Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

 Gooey Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies %The Baker Chick

*First of all- Today is the day my wedding is featured on Style Me Pretty! Check out our feature here!!!*

So Ok- do you remember the first time you made a recipe from scratch? I definitely can picture that moment when I first made a cake without a mix, not believing that how easy and delicious it was! When it comes to brownies, I never ever fail to be impressed when a recipe tastes better than a box. I’ve always really loved boxed brownies, but the ingredients aren’t my favorite and I obviously love trying to make everything from scratch.

 Gooey Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies %The Baker Chick

When it comes to these particular brownies, I keep thinking of a friend from grade school whose Mom used to always make peanut butter swirl brownies for class events and bake sales. I remember being obsessed with them and after awhile asked for the recipe to give my Mom hoping she’d make them for us. (Wishfully thinking she wouldn’t health them up with natural flours and sugars.)  I remember my friend’s mom saying they were from a box, and at the time I thought that meant boxed brownies were my favorite thing in the world! Now 20 years later, all I can think about are ways to throw all that out and make them from scratch…

 Gooey Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies %The Baker Chick

Well I’m sure you can guess that I’m pretty happy with the results. I used the darkest Valharona cocoa powder which gave the brownies an amazing rich taste and texture. The peanut butter layer was everything I wanted it to be- tasting just like Reese’s filling and perfectly nutty and sweet.

As delicious as these brownies turned out, I did realize that I’m a horrible “swirler.” I guess I don’t have the delicate hand needed to gently pull the layers together so a lot of my peanut butter filling ended up in the middle. I totally suck right? You know for ending up with a gooey peanut butter layer that oozed out between the layers of fudgy brownie. How could I? Now I just need a bake sale or something to make these for :)

 Gooey Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies %The Baker Chick


Salted Caramel Brownie Pies

Salted Caramel Brownie Pies {A Virtual Baby Shower}

 Salted Caramel Brownie Pies {A Virtual Baby Shower} %The Baker Chick

I’m so excited to share this glorious treat with you today. Not only because it consists of brownie-cookies with salted caramel buttercream sandwiched together all whoopie-pie-like, but also because I made these for a very special blog-friend’s “Virtual” baby shower! Krissy from Krissy’s Creations is having a baby boy any day now, and though she lives too far away for an actual celebration, a few of her friends and I wanted to throw her a little “party” to celebrate the soon arrival of Baby.

I met Krissy last fall at the Foodbuzz Festival, and given that it was the day after I got engaged, and she was one of the first people I saw after it happened, I’ll always have special memories of that weekend. We both share a love for baking and I’ve loved getting to know Krissy over the last year.

 Salted Caramel Brownie Pies {A Virtual Baby Shower} %The Baker Chick

In my following of Krissy’s blog, it’s become a known fact that the girl loves chocolate. Her husband Steve is more of a vanilla guy, but I know that Krissy loves anything chocolate- especially fudgy-gooey brownie. When I saw this recipe- I thought it would be perfect for her shower. Two, thick brownie-esque cookies and salty caramel filling is right up Krissy’s alley. (and mine. I ate about 5 of these.)

I was a bit skeptical of this recipe after seeing the dough.  It looks more like brownie batter than cookie dough, but after baking- it turned into the most crackly, fudgy confection ever. I can’t wait to experiment with this cookie. The possibilities for fillings and mix-ins are endless!

 Salted Caramel Brownie Pies {A Virtual Baby Shower} %The Baker Chick

A party isn’t a party with brownie pies alone, so check out the other lovely ladies and their creations below. Congrats Krissy and Steve!

 Salted Caramel Brownie Pies {A Virtual Baby Shower} %The Baker Chick

Averie of Averie Cooks | Cinnamon Oatmeal Date Bars with Chocolate Ganache
Cassie of Bake Your Day | Red Bell Pepper & Ranch Cheese Dip
Erin of Big Fat Baker | Blueberry Punch
Jacqueline of The Dusty Baker | Kid-friendly Gluten-and-Dairy-Free Chicken Fingers
Lauren of Keep It Sweet |  Baby Blue Cake Pops From Scratch
Nicole of Sweet Peony Blog | Roasted Blueberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Salted Caramel Brownie Pies {A Virtual Baby Shower}

Yield: makes 12-16 sandwich cookies

Ingredients

  • 12 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, sifted
  • salted caramel creme filling:
  • 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
  • 2 cups confectioner sugar
  • 1/4 cup caramel sauce
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

  1. Place butter in a saucepan over low heat and gently stir until melted. Add 7 oz. of chocolate and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
  2. Place the eggs, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat for 15 minutes or until pale and creamy. (I know that seems like a lot, but I think that's what makes this cookie's texture.) Add in flour, baking powder, melted chocolate mixture, remaining 5 oz. of chocolate and mix just to combine. (Don't overmix.) Chill batter for 10 minutes, but not more. Dough should still be slightly gooey, but not watery.
  3. Spoon 2 tablespoonful of the mixture, onto parchment lined bake sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8–10 minutes or until puffed and cracked. Allow to cool completely on trays before transferring to a wire rack.
  4. Caramel Creme Filling and Assembly:
  5. Place softened butter in a bowl and beat until fluffy. Mix in confectioners sugar and salt, add in caramel and beat until smooth and creamy.
  6. Spread or pipe the frosting in between two cookies. Sandwich them together, and enjoy!!
http://www.the-baker-chick.com/2012/09/25/salted-caramel-brownie-pies-a-virtual-baby-shower/

Recipe adapted from: Camilla Styles


Classic Fudgy Brownies- The Baker Chicj

Classic Fudgy Brownies

 Classic Fudgy Brownies %The Baker Chick

It wasn’t until I started blogging (and baking regularly,) that I realized brownies made from scratch could taste as good as those made from a box. I guess I just really loved boxed brownies. The cracky tops, fudge centers, and crisp edges were perfect.

 Classic Fudgy Brownies %The Baker Chick

But man was I wrong. I mean- those boxed versions are great, but nothing quite compares to using pure dark chocolate to get the richest chocolate-y taste ever. I’ll never go back!

This recipe yields a very rich fudge-like brownie that I’m crazy about. The center is smooth, rich, and melt-in-your-mouth good. This is a wonderful classic recipe to have when you want the ease of a mix- while using whole ingredients. These whip up in no time and are really to die for. Enjoy!

 Classic Fudgy Brownies %The Baker Chick

PS- Still on my honeymoon- In just a couple days I’ll be back and ready to bake! I can’t wait to use my NEW Kitchen Aid!!!

Classic Fudgy Brownies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 10 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped
  • 2 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips (or any other mix-ins you may want to add!)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray (or grease it with butter.)
  2. Add the 2 sticks of butter to a medium saucepan and set over medium heat. Melt the butter, and continue to heat until the butter sizzles. At that point, add the chocolate to the pan and gently shake the pan to submerge in the butter. Turn off the heat and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, mix the brown sugar, flour and salt just until evenly combined. Add two of the eggs to the bowl and beat just until incorporated then scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the remaining two eggs, again beating just until incorporated. (Don't overmix!) Mix in the vanilla.
  4. Whisk the butter and chocolate mixture until smooth then add to the mixing bowl. Stir to incorporate with a rubber spatula. Fold in the chocolate chips.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread in an even layer. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the brownies cool completely in the pan. The brownies will be easiest to cut if you stick them in the fridge overnight. (I stuck the pan in the freezer for a few minutes to make them easy to cut.)
http://www.the-baker-chick.com/2012/09/07/classic-fudgy-brownies/

Source: Tracey’s Culinary Adventures via Bake! by Nick Malgieri


Recently+Updated491

Fudgy Sea Salt Brownies Bites

 Fudgy Sea Salt Brownies Bites %The Baker Chick

Since starting this blog,  I seem to analyze every dessert item I put into my mouth. In any given meal I think- “Could I recreate this?” “Is that dark chocolate?” “How is this cake so fluffy?” (More often than not, I try to not eat sweets when I’m out because I always eat so many at home.)  Sometimes though, I come across something so delicious that I have to keep buying it out until I figure out how to recreate it. What am I talking about you may ask? Well yes- the Sea Salt Brownie Bites from Trader Joes. I’m obsessed. I always throw a container into my cart and often times have made a serious dent in them before I even get to checkout. (Oops.) So you are probably not surprised that I had made it my mission to recreate them.

 Fudgy Sea Salt Brownies Bites %The Baker Chick

I didn’t really think I could make a version of my favorite bite-sized treats that I loved more than the original, but boy was I wrong. These are in a whole other league from the store bought ones. Really it’s just an amazing, fudgy brownie recipe that is kicked up a notch with a sprinkling of flaky sea salt. I made these in a mini-muffin tin, but given the simplicity of this recipe, I think I’ll be making many other versions in the days to come. Plus- you only use one bowl which is a HUGE plus for us non-dishwasher-having New Yorkers.

 Fudgy Sea Salt Brownies Bites %The Baker Chick

These brownies have perfectly crisp edges, fudgy centers, and just enough bits of flaky sea salt to make them truly out of this world.  They come together in no time and are super easy to throw into a ziploc and bring to any outing or get together. (Memorial Day picnic maybe?) I can’t wait to make these again!

Fudgy Sea Salt Brownies Bites

Yield: 36 brownies bites

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chopped into cubes
  • ?2 cups sugar
  • ?1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ?4 ounces 70% cocoa chocolate bar, chopped?
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • ?1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ?3 large eggs, cold
  • ?3/4 cup cake flour
  • sea salt

Instructions

  1. Butter a mini muffin pan. Preheat oven to 325°F with a rack in the bottom third of the oven.
  2. Place the butter in a large heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water (makeshift double boiler). When it begins to melt, add the sugar, cocoa powder and chocolate bar. Stir occasionally until the butter and chocolate have completely melted and mixture is homogenous and glossy–it may still appear a bit grainy.
  3. Remove the bowl from the pot let it cool slightly.
  4. Add the vanilla and stir. Then add each egg, one at a time, mixing well with a whisk after each to completely incorporate it.
  5. Add the cake flour and salt, and mix until they are completely combined. Continue to mix for another minute to ensure the mixture is smooth, but do NOT over mix. The batter will be very thick.
  6. Spoon the batter evenly into the mini-cupcake pan. Sprinkle each with sea salt. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out covered with a few moist crumbs. Mine took about 17 minutes.
  7. Allow the brownies to cool slightly then place the pans in the freezer until they are cool to the touch. Remove from the freezer, run a knife or spoon along the outside of each brownie and pop the brownie bite out.
http://www.the-baker-chick.com/2012/05/23/fudgy-sea-salt-brownies-bites/

Recipe adapted from: Chasing Delicious


Ancho Brownies *Guest Post*

 Ancho Brownies *Guest Post* %The Baker Chick

It’s amazing how good friends really step it up in the face of a crisis. When I found out on Sunday that Andy (who was in Vegas) had a dangerously bad nosebleed, went to the ER, and needed surgery- it didn’t take me long to buy a last minute ticket to fly out and be with him. I emailed all of my wonderful Milk Bar Monday friends, letting them know I may not be able to post in time, and also asking if anyone could possibly Guest Post for me since I had no idea when I’d be back. When I landed in Vegas and turned on my phone, I was so touched with all the kind and generous offers to help out. I really am lucky to have such a great community. 

When Meagan from the wonderful blog Scarletta Bakes offered to share one of her treats with you all I was so touched and excited. She comes up with the most delicious recipes and I love that these brownies show off a bit of her Southwestern flare. Head over to her site and get ready to drool!

PS- Andy is doing much better. Fingers crossed he gets cleared at his appointment today and we’ll be on the red eye home tonight. Here’s Meagan…

What a treat to be guest posting on Audra’s lovely blog! In the time that I have come to know Audra, I have learned that she is not only a slammin’ baker and an inspirational blogger, but she is also such a wonderful person and friend. So I am thrilled to be a part of The Baker Chick today! Let’s celebrate with some brownies!

Someone recently asked me if I had ever met anyone who didn’t like eating heat/spice with chocolate. I had to pause and think about it, and I realized that I have never actually encountered one of these foreign creatures.

 Ancho Brownies *Guest Post* %The Baker Chick

I began to wonder, if I did meet one, would we be able to communicate?

Would I have to use charades to help them understand the importance of trying a little freshly ground chile powder with their chocolate sauce?

Or maybe I would have to mime the value of sprinkling a spoonful of ground cayenne over a bowl of chocolate ice cream.
I’m not sure.

 Ancho Brownies *Guest Post* %The Baker Chick

But I am pretty sure that, instead of busting out my incredibly lacking charades skills, I could simply serve them an Ancho Brownie and we would be communicating just fine.

I have absolutely loved this recipe ever since I found it:  it’s simple to prepare and yields enormous, spicy squares of ridiculously chocolatey brownies.

I also really like that the recipe itself has a very simplistic feel to it; the author never once mentions a hand or stand mixer, and, in this spirit, I use only a bowl, whisk and double boiler when preparing the batter. It’s a total cinch.

It’s chocolate. It’s spice. It’s a panacea to any communication issues. Skip the charades and try an Ancho Brownie today.

Rebecca Rather's Ancho Brownies

Yield: 12 large brownies

Ingredients

  • 1 pound semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1 pound unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 8 eggs, at room temperature
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ tablespoons ancho chile powder
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup pine nuts or pecans, toasted (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  2. Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking pan.
  3. Combine the chocolate and butter in the top ?pan of a double boiler, place over (not touching) barely simmering water in the bottom pan, and heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter have melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until thickened and smooth. Add the flour, ancho powder, chocolate chips, and nuts and stir until thoroughly combined. Whisk in the chocolate and butter mixture.
  5. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into 12 squares. Serve with the ice cream.

Notes

Cook’s note: I found that these brownies took much longer than 20-25 minutes to bake in my oven at 325 degrees – almost 40 minutes total. I would check your brownies for doneness starting at 22 minutes, and don’t be afraid to give them the extra time if they need it.

http://www.the-baker-chick.com/2012/04/26/ancho-brownies-guest-post/


Chocolate Peanut Butter Heart Brownies- The Baker Chick

Peanut Butter Frosted Blondies with Brownie Hearts

 Peanut Butter Frosted Blondies with Brownie Hearts %The Baker Chick

Sometimes an amazing recipe happens because of a huge disaster. You know- I have a brilliant idea, I start to whip it up, and then an hour later I’m almost in tears because nothing turned out quite right. Sometimes I end up throwing in the towel and weeping over burnt cookies (or whatever.) But other times, like with these babies, I reach into my baker’s bag of tricks and come up with something that is actually even better.

 Peanut Butter Frosted Blondies with Brownie Hearts %The Baker Chick

My goal was to make something like these. A pan of blondies, a pan of brownies- hearts cut out and swapped and just like that- a cute and festive V-day treat. In my case though, things didn’t work out so well. The blondies were perfect, but the brownies were thinner and a cut-out swap situation wouldn’t work. So, I whipped up some quick peanut butter frosting, slathered it on, and nestled in a little reject brownie heart. When I took a bite and got the whole brown sugar-under-peanut butter-under fudge thing happening in my mouth- I knew this was a recipe worth sharing.

 Peanut Butter Frosted Blondies with Brownie Hearts %The Baker Chick

The crackly fudgy brownies were cut into cute heart shapes before being stuck on top of the creamy frosting. I used the thinner outer layer of the brownies, so the inside could be used for something else. (though I’m pretty sure you can find use for a bowl of brownie scraps.) Also- if your brownies are too thick to perch on top of the frosting, just slice it in half to make it a little thinner. (And then you get to eat the bottoms!)

 Peanut Butter Frosted Blondies with Brownie Hearts %The Baker Chick

See- not all V-day treats need to be pink and red. (though I like those too.) I can promise these will make your sweetheart love lots!

Peanut Butter Frosted Blondies with Brownie Hearts

Yield: 16 blondies

Ingredients

  • Blondies:
  • 1/2 cup of butter, melted
  • 1 cup of tightly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cup of all-purpose flour
  • Brownies:
  • 3 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • Peanut Butter Frosting:
  • 1/4 cup butter (half stick)
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon of milk

Instructions

    For the Blondies:
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two 8×8-inch square baking pans with foil, with ends of foil extending over opposite sides of pan. Repeat with second piece of foil in opposite direction. Spray foil with cooking spray.
  2. Whisk together the melted butter and sugar in a bowl.
  3. Add the egg and vanilla extract and whisk.
  4. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, mix it all together (don't over mix though)
  5. Pour into one of the prepared pans and spread evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool.
  6. For the Brownies:
  7. Melt chocolate and butter together in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring between each until it is 90% melted; remove from heat and stir the mixture until it is smooth. Whisk in sugar. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Add flour and salt together, stirring until just combined. Spread into prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
  8. For the Frosting:
  9. Cream the butter and peanut butter together using an electric mixer on medium high speed until light and fluffy. add the powdered sugar and mix until thick and well combined. add the vanilla and milk and mix on high speed until creamy and fluffy.
  10. To Assemble:
  11. Remove blondies from pan using foil tabs. Spread the frosting on evenly and cut into 16 squares.
  12. Using a small heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out hearts from the brownies, slicing in half to thin out if neccesary. Place one on each blondie. Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
http://www.the-baker-chick.com/2012/02/08/peanut-butter-frosted-blondies-with-brownie-hearts/

Brownie Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen


Banana Caramel Brownies

Banana Caramel Brownies Take 2

 Banana Caramel Brownies Take 2 %The Baker Chick

I went to college in a super small town called Stevens Point, WI. On any given day the most exciting things to do included trips to Perkins Family Restaurant, hikes through the campus nature reserve, and during the warmer months, visits to a place called Belts. I was a brand new freshman when I was first introduced to it and it was my absolute favorite place to go to all four years. What was Belts you may ask? Well I’ll tell ya- it was probably the best little Ice Cream stand I’ve ever been to. Freshly churned soft-serve meets made-from scratch baked good mix-ins. It was sweet tooth heaven. Especially when I discovered my favorite thing ever. It was called the “Banana Foster Brownie Concrete” and it consisted of Vanilla soft serve, swirled with caramel sauce. chunks of fresh banana and gooey brownie bits. So freakin’ good.

Ever since then, I’ve been obsessed with mixing those three things. I made a version of this brownie a long time ago, and though it was great, I felt like it could still be better. I knew I needed a thicker caramel sauce and a fudgier brownie. Topped with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream it may or may not fill the void I’ve been missing since college. (I had every intention of making sundaes out of these brownies but my sisters and friends ate them too quickly.)

 Banana Caramel Brownies Take 2 %The Baker Chick

It’s interesting how these brownies come together. Both times I layered the pan like so: Banana Cake Batter, Caramel layer, Brownie Batter. Both times the caramel soaked into the cake and made it taste better. In this case- the banana layer bubbled up and around the other layers, making it all swirled and pretty. The caramel made the brownie part almost fudge like. I always think I’ll get three distinct layers, but I think that’s still a work in progress. Needless to say- they were by far the best brownies I’ve made. Every piece was different as the three layers were swirled throughout and you never really knew what you were going to get in each bite. As my friend Sam said while eating his third, “You know Audra, I’m super happy for you, but anyone can get engaged….I think this brownie is the real reason to congratulate you.” :) Yeah they’re real good.

PS- I’m going to try on a wedding dress today. Because you know what? I never have before. And now I can. I can also read Wedding magazines without feeling weird that I wasn’t wearing a ring. (but I totally used to read them anyway!)

Banana Caramel Brownies Take 2

Ingredients

  • Banana Layer:
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas
  • Brownie Layer:
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 5 oz oz dark chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Caramel Layer:
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon fine fleur de sel, plus extra for sprinkling
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan and set aside.
  2. Banana Layer: In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter. Finally, mix in the mashed banana. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
  3. Start the Brownie Layer: Add the 1 stick of butter to a medium saucepan and set over medium heat. Melt the butter, and continue to heat until the butter sizzles. At that point, add the chocolate to the pan and gently shake the pan to submerge in the butter. Turn off the heat and set aside.
  4. Begin Caramel:
  5. In a deep saucepan, combine 1/4 cup water, the sugar and corn syrup and bring them to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until the mixture is a warm golden brown. Don't stir -- just swirl the pan. (Can take a few minutes for the sugar to caramelize- keep an eye on it and continue to the next step.)
  6. In a small saucepan simmer the heavy cream and butter and sea salt until the butter is melted. Set aside. To finish the caramel: when sugar mixture is a warm golden brown, turn off the heat and carefully add the cream mixture. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until the mixture reaches 248 degrees F (firm ball) on a candy thermometer.
  7. During those 10 minutes finish the brownies: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, mix the brown sugar, flour and salt just until evenly combined. Add one of the eggs to the bowl and beat just until incorporated then scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the remaining egg, again beating just until incorporated. (Don't overmix!) Mix in the vanilla. Whisk the butter and chocolate mixture until smooth then add to the mixing bowl. Stir to incorporate with a rubber spatula.
  8. Once the caramel is done, pour it carefully over the banana batter in the 9x13 pan. Follow with the brownie batter- which will need to be poured over the other layers as evenly as possible, and then spread over the caramel as best as you can. Don't worry too much as it will all swirl together as you bake it.
  9. Bake for 35-40 minutes. or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely before cutting.

Notes

These individual recipes only called for 25/30 minutes in the oven. For some reason though, mine needed a bit more. (Maybe because of the caramel.) I would start low and add more time if needed.

If you don't want to make homemade caramel, just use store bought ones melted on the stovetop with 1/3 cup heavy cream.

http://www.the-baker-chick.com/2011/11/16/banana-caramel-brownies-take-2/

Sources: Banana Cake: All Recipes
Brownies: Same I used here.
Caramel: Food Network