Salted Caramel & Hazelnut Fudge Brownies
Salted Caramel & Hazelnut Fudge Brownies
Who doesn’t love a gloriously dense and fudgy brownie?! It’s the ultimate treat for a cosy night in this season while wrapping gifts or watching Christmas films. Simple to make with extra toppings for added wow factor!
A big thank you to Mariam Aly for creating these indulgent brownies for us! Make sure you pop over to her Instagram for more of her delicious bakes.
INGREDIENTS:
For the brownie:
• 170g dark baking chocolate
• 113g unsalted butter
• 200g granulated white sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 80g plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 125g semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 100g lightly toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
For the topping
• 150g caramel sauce (homemade or store-bought)
• Coarse sea salt
• 4 Flower & White Salted Caramel Bites, roughly chopped
• 6 Flower & White Chocolate Covered Praline Meringue drops, halved
• 40g dark chocolate, melted
Makes: 16 squares
Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 180 °C (350 °F) and place the rack in the middle of the oven.
2. Prepare a 9-inch (23 cm) square tray, greasing with butter and lining the bottom and sides with greaseproof or parchment paper. Make sure to leave an overhang so you can easily lift the brownies out when they’re done. Scatter the toasted and chopped hazelnuts to cover the bottom of your tray. Set aside.
3. Melt the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl in the microwave in short intervals, stopping every 20 seconds to stir your mixture so it doesn’t burn (you can also use a bain marie if you prefer!).
4. Once the mixture has fully melted, take off the heat and add in the sugar right away, stirring to combine.
5. Make sure that your mixture has cooled down slightly before adding in the eggs, one at a time. Next whisk in the vanilla extract.
6. Finally, add the cocoa powder, flour, salt and chocolate chips making sure to mix gently to avoid over working the batter.
7. Place the brownie mix in the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. (Try to avoid overbaking the brownies… you still want that gooey texture!).
8. Allow the brownies down slightly, then pour the caramel sauce over the top. Allow the to cool completely before decorating.
9. To decorate the brownies; scatter the chopped salted caramel bites all over the top then arrange the meringue drops randomly over. Finish it off with a sprinkle of sea salt and drizzle with the melted chocolate.
10. Allow the brownies to completely set before slicing (you could put them in the fridge to speed up the process).
11. When ready to serve, use the parchment overhang to gently lift them out of the pan to cut into squares. Enjoy!