Chocolate Salted Caramel Brownies

Did everyone enjoy seeing the snow over the weekend? I used to love snow and feel so excited whenever I woke up and found a thick layer of white covering the ground. Snow is now viewed as a bit of a nuisance, yet it still holds a sense of magic for me. It makes everything appear so fresh, bright, white and clean. Opening the front door you are greeted not by sound, rather a lack of it. The very air feels hushed and silent, creating a unique non-sound in itself.

As lovely as it is to look at and play in, after a while you want nothing more than to scuttle inside, and warm up by the fire with a steaming mug of something and a slice of something delicious to eat.

These brownies were just what was required. Rich and chocolaty, topped with a thin drizzle of sweet caramel and the occasional crunch from a light sprinkling of sea salt. Providing a wonderful sweet ‘n’ salty taste against the gooey chocolate brownie.

These are best eaten within 2 days and at their optimum when eaten still ever so slightly warm from the oven, which I assure you wasn’t a problem!

Chocolate Salted Caramel Brownies

Ingredients
115g butter
150g dark chocolate 60-70%
25g cocoa powder
3 eggs
200g caster sugar
100g gluten free Doves plain flour
1 tsp sea salt crystals
50g toffee or caramel sauce (approx)

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Line a 9inch square pan with silicone paper, letting it rise up two of the sides as well. Grease lightly with vegetable oil.
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Break up the chocolate and add to the pan, stirring constantly over a low heat until the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the sugar. Scatter over the flour and fold in until incorporated.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
Drizzle the toffee sauce in strips over the surface of the brownie and drag a skewer the opposite direction, across the strips, to create a feather effect. Sprinkle a little of the sea salt over the surface.
Bake for 18-20 minutes until the brownies form a light crisp surface and feel slightly firm to the touch. A skewer inserted should come out with a few sticky crumbs attached, but no molten mixture.
Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before carefully lifting out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Cut into 12 squares