Death by Caramel (and Chocolate)

I don't really like chocolate. How can you not like chocolate you may ask? Chocolate is nice, but most chocolate just bores me. When I do want chocolate though, I want it rich, dark, and bitter, like moist earth. You can describe my favorite coffee similarly. I usually prefer my chocolate in small, "just right" sized proportions and I prefer that it not stand alone. I love the bitterness to be offset by a bite of sweetness from a piece of fruit, or the toothsome meatiness of a bit of nut.

Of course there is another way to go.



Caramel. Sweet, silky, luxurious caramel. Soft, chewy, buttery, caramelized caramel. Caramel and a hint of spice. Dulce de leche caramel. Pair it with dark 70% or higher chocolate, and you are headed towards a mighty fine dessert.

I recently had the opportunity to make a batch of brownies as a going away gift for a coworker friend of mine. I think the brownies I came out with may not have been what the rest of my coworkers expected, but I certainly enjoyed them and I think the departing friend did as well which is enough for me.



Actually, to be perfectly honest, I may have found myself trying not to lick a tin can, and instead hunting down every food item in the house that would taste good with the residual batter in the bowl or the residual caramel in the measuring cup, particularly the caramel, after making these brownies. They are THAT good.

I started with David Lebovitz' recipe for dulce de leche brownies. Then I adapted. Because its what I do. A touch of extra vanilla here, a sprinkle of ground canella (Mexican cinnamon) there, and replacing the regular chocolate with 50% extra-dark and 50% Mexican chocolate, the last of my stash from Oaxaca.



The next time you are in need of some serious chocolate, a dessert that doesn't soft shoe around, try these brownies. Cut them into small squares, and have just one (or two, or three - whatever is just right for you) with a cold glass of milk, a nice cup of coffee, or even a glass of red wine. If you're looking for death by chocolate, there are worse ways you could go.

Dulce de Leche Brownies
10.5 Tbs butter, plus extra to grease the pan
4 oz. dark chocolate
4 oz. Mexican chocolate
1/3 cup cocoa powder
4 eggs
1 1/3 cups sugar
1.5 tsp vanilla (I may have run out of vanilla and used half vanilla/half dark rum)
1.5 tsp cinnamon, preferably ground canela
1 1/3 cups flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/3 cups Dulce de Leche*

1) Line a 13x9in 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 the sides, use two overlapping sheets of foil. Grease the bottom and sides of the foil with some butter or non-stick spray.

2) 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.

3) Add in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and then the flour.

4) Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan. Drop one-third of the Dulce de Leche evenly over the brownie batter and 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.

5) Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 to 45 minutes. The brownies should feel just-slightly firm when done. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

According to David, these brownies become better the second day, and will keep well for up to 3 days.

*To make your own dulce de leche at home, take one 14oz can of sweetened condensed milk, remove the label, and cut two holes in the top with a can opener. Place in a medium sauce pan and fill saucepan with water one inch from the rim of the can. Simmer over medium-low heat for 2-4 hours depending on how thick you want your caramel (I used about 2.5 hours for the caramel in these brownies), refilling water as necessary. One 14oz can makes just enough caramel for the brownies.