Nothing suits casual summer entertaining better than an easy, passable dessert, and it’s hard to beat a brownie in that department. It is a shame that some brownies have given brownies a bad name. So I’m just going to cut to the chase here. The reason these are so good is the teentsiest hint of cinnamon and a thin layer of caramel and nuts in the middle. Need I say more.

Well maybe a little more. They are super moist and chewy, and not too sweet.

This recipe is from my now almost vintage book Atlanta at Table which came out in 1996, when the Olympics came to Atlanta. I was on The Today Show and interviewed by Jack Ford, who was so cute. I had gotten home from the Opening Ceremonies at about 2 am and I think NBC picked me up around 3:15. Fortunately they had really good make-up people.

Best Ever Brownies

2013-10-30 11:52:03

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Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup (1 stick) of salted butter
2. 2 ounces semisweet chocolate
3. 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
4. 1 cup brown sugar, packed
5. 3/4 cup regular white sugar
6. 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
7. 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
8. 1 1/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
9. 2 teaspoons baking powder
10. 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
11. 4 eggs
12. 1 8-ounce package caramels
13. 1 5-ounce can evaporated milk
14. 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Butter a 9 x 13-inch pan and heat oven to 350 degrees. In large, heavy saucepan over low heat, melt butter and chocolate.
2. Remove from heat and stir in sugars, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating about 30 seconds after each.
4. Pour half the mixture in the pan and bake for 7 minutes. While it is baking, melt caramels in double boiler or microwave, and stir in milk.
5. After 7 minutes remove partially baked brownies from oven and drizzle with the caramel, then sprinkle with nuts. Spoon remaining brownie mix over and bake another 30 to 35 minutes.
6. As I mentioned, they are gooey. Best to refrigerate before cutting, if you can wait that long.
7. Sprinkling with powdered sugar is optional.

Adapted from Atlanta at Table, 1996

Adapted from Atlanta at Table, 1996

Frances Schultz https://www.francesschultz.com/

If you’d like a personalized copy of Atlanta at Table, or a personalized bookplate for one you already have, let me know. Books are $40 plus $5 postage. And you can of course find used copies on the Internet. Funny I still use this cookbook all the time.

Happy Baking, FS

PS – THIS JUST IN – A gluten-free version one reader swears by. See the Comments for this post, near the end.