Turtle Brownies

Turtle Brownies

Turtles are a very popular Holiday treat at our house and Santa always remembers to put some of those delicious chocolate, pecan and caramel clusters in my stocking every year. I have been looking for a really fudgy, chewy brownie for a while to use as a base for this cookie bar idea and I finally decided to develop one myself. I went with the idea that brownies supposedly were originally a fallen chocolate cake. In fact it is normal for these brownies to fall in the middle after baking. I simply trim the crisp sugary top edge right off the brownies before frosting or topping with the caramel, pecans and chocolate as in this recipe. I love the trimmed top edges so much I try to trim them when nobody else is around so that I don't have to share them.

The caramel layer is a cooked stove top version using sweetened condensed milk. A candy thermometer is very helpful to make sure that the caramel reaches 220 degrees F for the perfect soft chewy consistency. These freeze quite well and are sure to be the hit of any get together at any time of the year.

Brownie Layer

Sift together:

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/3 cup good quality cocoa
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Melt over low heat:

•  3/4 cup butter

Remove from heat and stir in

• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 square (1 ounce) melted unsweetened bakers chocolate
• 2 eggs
• 3 tsp vanilla extract

Stir slowly until the sugar is dissolved. Pinch the mixture between your fingers to make sure that you cannot feel any sugar granules. This is an important step in baking fudgy brownies.

Gradually mix in dry ingredients. Spread the batter into a greased or parchment lined 9x9 baking pan.

Bake for about 35 - 40 minutes at 350 degrees F (325 F for glass bakeware)  Cool completely before adding the caramel layer. When cooled, if your edges are too high you can trim them horizontally with a serrated bread knife to level the brownies..

Caramel

In a small saucepan combine:

• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/3 cup dark corn syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Bring to a slow boil until foamy, then add:

• 1 10 oz (300 ml) can sweetened condensed milk ( I've used Eagle Brand Dulce De Leche condensed milk here for great caramel color)

Bring back to a slow boil over medium low heat. and cook stirring continuously for another 15-20 minutes until the mixture darkens slightly and thickens. It should reach no more than 220 degrees on a candy thermometer or the caramel will harden. If you don't have a candy thermometer use the ice water test. Drop a 1/2 tsp of the mixture into ice water, If it forms a soft ball that can still be pinched between your fingers, it is ready. Remove from heat and pour into the prepared brownie base. Let cool for a few minutes before sprinkling on:

• 1 1/4 cups lightly toasted chopped pecans.

Finally drizzle on 

• 4 ounces melted chocolate

Let the caramel set up completely before cutting into squares or bars.