Simple Salted Caramel Brownies

With a new routine comes new reasons to explore some favourite recipe books, old and new. With a recipe books lining a shelf in our pantry, armed and ready to supply inspiration for evenings filled with cooking for two- it’s become one of my favourite simple pleasures sitting down on a Friday to do the weekly food stop- whilst fingering through pages of new bakes and dinners- mulling over mutual loves and things we’ll try for the week ahead…

One of my favourite new books from that shelf has to be Laura Jackson and Alice Levine’s, Round to Ours. Already being two of my favourite people- be it for their style or skills (be it supper clubs to podcasting), I’ve been so excited to take one of their recipes for a spin. Although the book is mainly menus for gorgeous gatherings and delightful dinner parties, there are dishes that can cater for afternoon treats and simple suppers- with the salted caramel brownies from their ‘Movie Night’ menu particularly piquing my interest. So, with dinner with friends in the diary, I decided to bake these and take them along as a surprise desert- and it’s safe to say they went down a total storm! I thought I’d share the recipe here, and can guarantee if you like this, you’ll love the rest of the book too.

You Will Need:
100g Dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
125g Unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
250g Granulated sugar
2 Large eggs
1 Tsp vanilla extract
1 Tsp flaky sea salt
100g Plain flour
12 Squares of milk chocolate containing caramel pieces (I used Galaxy Caramel)

– Heat your oven to 170 degrees. Line a baking tin (28 x 20cm), with baking parchment, leaving extra up around the sides.

– Place the dark chocolate and butter in a large bowl set over a pan of simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl isn’t touching the water) and leave until just melted.

– Take off the heat and use a balloon whisk to whisk in the sugar, then the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla and half the salt. Gradually sift in the flour and then stir using the whisk.

– Pour the mixture into the tin, spreading it out so that it is even. Press a piece of caramel chocolate into the surface at regular intervals (so that when cut into 12 there is a piece at the centre of each), and sprinkle the surface with the remaining salt.

– Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in an area with no caramel comes out without raw batter on it. The brownies should also be starting to come away from the edges, and gently cracking on top. Leave to cool- or eat them when they’re straight out of the oven if you can’t wait (and while the centres are still runny).

Recipe care of the wonderful Jackson & Levine, whose book is an absolute treasure.