Decadent Turtle Brownies

Ingredients

Salted Caramel Sauce:

1 cup (210g) granulated sugar

6 tbsp (85g) salted butter, cubed

1/2 cup + 1 tbsp heavy cream

pinch of flaky sea salt

For the Brownies:

1/2 cup (170g) salted butter

2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped use a baking bar or good quality chocolate chips

2 ounces milk chocolate, chopped use a baking bar or good quality chocolate chips

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup (87g) cocoa powder

1 and 1/2 cups (312g) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (110g) light brown sugar, packed

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup (65g) all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled

2 tsp DeLallo Instant Espresso Coffee Powder Use 1-2 tbsp if you want an espresso flavor in your brownies. 2 tsp will not make them taste like coffee – it will enhance the chocolate flavor!

1 and 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup + 1 handful extra pecans, roughly chopped

Directions

Prep: Preheat your oven to 350° F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.

Make Caramel Sauce: Make the caramel sauce according to my salted caramel sauce recipe, linked here.

Make the Brownie Batter: Melt the butter, the 2 ounces of semisweet, and the 2 ounces of milk chocolate together in a large microwave-safe mixing bowl. Melt in 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until fully melted and smooth. Whisk in the oil, then the cocoa powder. Add the sugars, and whisk until just combined. Add the eggs, vanilla, and salt, and whisk until combined, then continue whisking for 30 seconds. Fold in the flour and espresso powder, stopping when a few streaks of flour remain. Fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of pecans.

Bake: Spread the batter evenly in your prepared pan, and scatter the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips and handful of pecans on top. Bake for 19 to 25 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should pull out moist crumbs, not wet batter, and should come out clean at the edges. (You can also use the tip of a knife to lift up a little piece from the center to see the doneness more clearly, if you have a hard time judging when brownies are done). It should look like thick batter that's still a tad undercooked, but shouldn't look like complete liquid. The brownies will set up as they cool.

Serve & Store: Let brownies cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30-60 minutes before slicing and serving. Just before slicing, pour on the caramel sauce. Use as much as you like!

Tip: When brownies are ready to slice, you should be able to lift the brownies out of the pan by the parchment paper overhang without it feeling like they'll buckle in the middle.

Store leftover brownies – cooled to room temp – in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Let sit out at room temperature for 10-30 minutes before enjoying. If you don't add the caramel over top, you can store the brownies at room temp and add caramel to individual slices.