Warm Nutty Caramel Brownies

So I came across this recipe in one of the Pampered Chef recipe booklets and, since I might have to make it at a party, I decided to try it as one of the treats being made this weekend.

The recipe turned out alright, but there were a few things the recipe said should happen that I did have to modify as I went. The first being the cooking time. Now this is kind of important and I’m not sure what went wrong. According to the recipe, it should only bake for 20-22 minutes. Yet, I had the brownies in the oven for a good 40 minutes before they came out according to the recipe. Of course, this meant that the edges were a little darker and crispier than intended, but I’m not sure if it was due to my pan or the recipe creator’s concept of time. The recipe calls for the large bar pan that Pampered Chef sells, and if it’s the one I’m thinking it is, it’s also a piece of stoneware, which might mean that the brownies would take a shorter amount of time to cook. If that’s true, then using my glass cake pan probably increased the time. So, I’m not changing the time in the directions simply because I’m not sure why there’s a difference.

One thing I completely forgot about that may have made a big difference, I’m not sure if I made cake-like brownies or fudge-like brownies. If I made the fudge-like brownies, then I think I can see why it took longer to bake. The brownie mix box didn’t give me the two different ingredient list, so I think I’m going to try a different brand than Ghiradella, just to see if this was what made the difference in cooking times.

The other change I noticed was the “drizzling chocolate”. Microwaving the chocolate and caramel pieces (I used Rollo’s) did melt the mixture, but it really didn’t make it into something that could be drizzled. So I ended up heating the mixture on the stove with a little milk thrown in. Once I did this, the drizzling effect was easy. That is one thing I am going to change in the directions. Instead of microwaving the 1/2 cup chocolate and caramels for a minute (stirring every 20 second intervals), I’m just going to say to heat it up on the stove until it’s melted.

For the rest of the recipe, it was actually really good. I got the Ghiradella Dark Chocolate brownie mix and who were the brownies tasty. I’ve never thought of adding brown sugar to brownies before, but I like what it did. I haven’t come across any of the hidden surprises yet, but I’ve been snacking along the edges. Overall, though, I like this and I would make it again. I might play with it a bit though.

Edited to Add: So since I’ve posted this review, I’ve become a little more informed on some of the products mentioned in this recipe and I figured out why this recipe was weird.  The large bar pan is a piece of stoneware that is more like a cookie sheet than a cake pan.  So actually, my review is good for anyone who doesn’t have this piece of stoneware.

Ingredients:
1 pkg (12oz) semi-sweet chocolate morsels, divided or 2 cups chocolate chips
1 pkg (18-21oz) brownie mix (plus ingredients to make cake like brownies)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar, divided
1 cup pecans (changed from salted mix nuts)
5 rolls milk chocolate-covered chewy caramels, unwrapped, divided (40 pieces total)
Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly brush cake pan with vegetable oil. Chop 1-1/2 cups of the chocolate morsels. In a bowl, combine the brownie mix, water, oil, eggs, and 1/4 cup brown sugar; mix well. Fold in chopped chocolate; pour batter into pan, spreading evenly.
2. Chop nuts. Combine half of the nuts and remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar; sprinkle evenly over brownie batter. Bake 20-22 minutes (could be longer) or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
3. Meanwhile, cut 16 caramels into quarters. Place remaining 1/2 cup chocolate morsels in microwave safe bowl; microwave on HIGH 1 minute or until melted, stirring after each 20-second interval. Spoon melted chocolate into resealable plastic bag; set aside.
4. Remove pan from oven and set aside to cool. Immediately press remaining 24 caramels evenly into brownie in four rows of six caramels each. Sprinkle quartered caramels and remaining nuts over brownies. Trim corner of chocolate-filled bag and drizzle chocolate evenly over brownies. Cut into squares; serve warm and with ice cream if desired.

Nutritional Information: 300 calories; 16g total fat; 4.5g saturated fat; 25mg cholesterol; 38g carbohydrate; 3g protein; 135mg sodium; 2g fiber