Is it Possible Turtle Brownies are Just Too Marvelous?

I absolutely love my family recipe for brownies, so much so that I usually don't eat any other kind of brownie.

But I decided a few months ago to be adventurous and try turtle brownies.  After all, how could a brownie with caramel and pecans not be good?  I was not disappointed!

These turtle brownies are the most decadent brownies I've ever tasted.  The dense, deep chocolate flavor of the brownie layer offsets the almost insanely sweet caramel layer that gets an added cocoa rush from the drizzles of chocolate.  I often cut these brownies into very small pieces because they are so sugary sweet.

Turtle brownies are just "Too Marvelous for Words."  Ella Fitzgerald sings it best in this live version!

TURTLE BROWNIES
Adapted from a recipe in Mary Engelbreit's Cookies Cookbook.

INGREDIENTS

BROWNIE
3/4 cup Land O' Lakes butter
2 ounces Unsweetened Baker's Chocolate, chopped
1 ounce Semi-Sweet Baker's Chocolate, chopped
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour


CARAMEL
11 ounce bag of Kraft Caramel Bits or 30 unwrapped Kraft Caramels
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 3/4 cups pecan halves

CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE
3 ounces Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate
2 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon Karo Light Corn Syrup


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 metal baking pan with parchment paper.

In a medium sized microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, 2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate, and 1 ounce of semi-sweet chocolate for 1 minute on power 3. Stir. Put in for another minute. Stir. Repeat this process until the chocolate is melted. Let cool for at least 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar, and brown sugar on medium to medium-high speed until creamy. Add vanilla, chocolate/butter mixture, and salt. Beat until blended. Add flour in three batches mixing just until combined.

With a rubber spatula scrape batter into prepared 9x13 pan. Spread evenly with spatula. Corners may be difficult to fill with parchment paper but that is okay.

Bake 20 to 24 minutes until the batter pulls away from the parchment and the batter is set in the middle. Let rest in pan on a wire rack.

Melt caramel bits and cream in a large, heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir continually with a long handled wooden spoon to prevent the cream from scalding. Once smooth, remove from heat.

Add pecans and stir with wooden spoon until the pecans are all coated with caramel. Add caramel to the top of the hot brownie layer, spreading evenly.

If you have a chest freezer, put the wire rack under the pan and freeze. If you don't have a standing freezer, clear a rack space for the pan to fit and freeze.

Melt chocolate, cream, and corn syrup in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly with a long-handled nylon spoon. Once smooth, remove from heat. With a fork, drizzle chocolate over brownies.

Put back in the freezer for 10 minutes to let drizzle set.

Remove brownies from pan with parchment paper onto a large cutting board. With a large sharp knife cut into 30 squares.

Store in the freezer in an air-tight container with waxed paper between the layers. To serve remove from freezer and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.