A Month of Chocolate: Caramel Brownies

These brownies are not for the faint of heart. Much discipline and delayed gratification is required in order to resist the siren call, the candy wrapper crackle, the sheer exhaustion that comes from unwrapping all those caramels! But unwrap we must in our relentless pursuit of, what used to be, the pinnacle of brownie perfection. Yes children, gather round while I tell you of a time when caramels weren't automatically included in boxed brownie mixes... Back in the day when we had to unwrap them all ourselves. Uphill. In the snow.

Caramel Brownies
14 oz. pkg of caramels, unwrapped
1/3 c. evaporated milk
1 pkg. German chocolate cake mix
1 c. chopped nuts
1 T. water
1/2 c. butter
1 c. chocolate chips

Combine candy and milk in glass dish and microwave until melted. Keep warm. Combine cake mix, nuts, water, and butter in large bowl until crumbly. Press 1/2 of dough in greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 for 6 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Spread caramel mixture over all. Crumble remaining dough over the top. Bake 15 minutes and cool.

A Month of Chocolate: Take Me Home, Rocky Roads

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Can we ever have too many brownie recipes? Of course not! This one was clipped from a copy of Bon Appétit magazine, ages and ages ago.
Rocky Road Brownies
4 1-oz. squares bittersweet chocolate
1 c. butter
2 c. sugar
4 eggs, room temp
1 c. flour
1 t. vanilla
2 c. mini marshmallows
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. chopped pecans
Heat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 pan. Melt chocolate squares and butter in a saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and add sugar, blending well. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in flour and vanilla. Add marshmallows, chips, and nuts and mix thoroughly. Turn mixture into pan. Bake until almost set, about 40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes and cut into squares. Makes about 24.

A Month of Chocolate: Strong Women Bake Brownies

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Best Brownies
These are not for wimps. What I mean is that if you haven’t been doing your strength training, you won’t be able to lift the dish! I don’t know what the secret is behind these squares of deliciousness, but I suspect it is the sheer size of them.
In a mixing bowl combine:
1 ¼ c. flour
1 ¼ c. cocoa
½ t. salt
In a saucepan melt:
3 sticks butter
Stir in 3 c. sugar, followed by 7 eggs (1 at a time)
Add to the mixing bowl along with
2 t. vanilla
4 ½ c. pecan pieces  (No this is not a typo.)
Line a 9x13 pan with buttered foil. Pour in brownie batter and bake for 50-60 minutes at 350.
Don’t over bake. Cool enough to turn brownies onto a large baking sheet. Chill and remove foil. Cut into large squares.