Today was the last day of my spring break and as always I find myself wishing for another week (or two) off. I guess my blogging will have to slow down considerably now that I have to do stuff other than run and bake =). I stumbled across this recipe and since I love brownies and dulce de leche I had to give it a try. They were all I had hoped they would be…and is there really a better flavor combo than chocolate and caramel? You can use either store bought ducle de leche or make your own. I made my own by placing an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk into a large sauce pan and covering with water. Bring to a gentle boil and boil for 3 1/2 hours. Let the can cool before you open it. If boiling an unopened can scares you, there are other ways to make your own, but I’ve never had a can explode. Just be careful to keep the can covered with water and roll it around occasionally. It doesn’t take a large piece to get your fix though as they are pretty rich. And you might want to consider running an extra mile or two before baking these as they definitely aren’t diet food!
Dulce de Leche Brownies
8 tablespoons salted or unsalted butter, cut into pieces
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
14 oz. dulce de leche
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a 8-inch square pan with a long sheet of aluminum foil that covers the bottom and reaches up the sides. If it doesn’t reach all the way up and over all four sides, cross another sheet of foil over it, making a large cross with edges that overhang the sides. Grease the bottom and sides of the foil with a bit of butter or non-stick spray.
3. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the chocolate pieces and stir constantly over very low heat until the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Add in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the sugar, vanilla, then the flour. Mix in the nuts, if using.
4. Scrape half of the batter into the prepared pan. Here comes the fun part.
5. Drop one-third of the Dulce de Leche, evenly spaced, over the brownie batter, then drag a knife through to swirl it slightly. Spread the remaining brownie batter over, then drop spoonfuls of the remaining Dulce de Leche in dollops over the top of the brownie batter. Use a knife to swirl the Dulce de Leche slightly.
6. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. The brownies are done when the center feels just-slightly firm. Remove from the oven and cool completely
