I was a skinny kid. And when I say skinny I mean really skinny. At high school graduation, I was 6’1″ and weighed 130 pounds. All through my childhood, I possessed a voracious appetite. School lunches sucked, so by the time I was home at 3:00, I was ravenous and raiding the refrigerator. I’m not kidding you when I say I snacked until dinnertime around 6:00. I would eat dinner and most likely have another nosh before bed.
On special occasions, usually around Christmas, a box of Millionaires candies would appear briefly at our house. I say briefly, because “you know who” could eat the entire box in one sitting. If you’ve never heard of Millionaires, they’re basically turtles or chocolate covered candies made from caramel and pecans.
I’m not sure what made me think of Millionaires candies this week, but my craving for these delicious treats had me thinking about creating some kind of variation on chocolate turtles. What better variation than brownies topped with chocolate chips, pecans, and a luscious caramel sauce, right?
I have some experience making different forms of caramel such as icing for Caramel Cake and dulce de leche for Salted Caramel Brownies, but I’d never made a caramel sauce for drizzling. The process is very similar to making caramel icing but it’s actually much easier. The sauce requires your constant attention for about 10 minutes, but the final product is so worth the effort.
You start by putting sugar in a heavy skillet or sauce pan and letting it melt over fairly high heat. When the sugar has melted, it begins to darken very quickly. The first batch I made got a little too dark so I had to start over. When the sugar begins to turn an amber color, you’ll want to move quickly to finish the sauce. The sauce will harden when cooled, so I suggest letting it cool slightly until it’s not too thin but still suitable for drizzling over the brownies.
If you like turtles candies like I do, I feel certain you’ll love these brownies. They’re a great treat for picnics, a day at the lake, or to finish off a summer cookout. Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon fleur de sel or any other flaky sea salt
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips, plus 3 ounces for topping
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into eight pieces
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons espresso powder
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped
Instructions
1. Transfer sugar to a heavy large skillet or sauce pan and place over medium high heat. After about 3 or 4 minutes the sugar will begin melting. When melting begin moving the sugar around the pan with a whisk. The sugar will begin clumping which is normal.
2. Continue whisking until sugar is completely melted. At this point begin watching very carefully as the sugar can burn very quickly. When the sugar begins turning an amber color, add butter and continue whisking until butter is melted. The sugar will bubble vigorously.
3. When the butter is melted, remove from heat and add cream. Continue whisking until well combined. Add salt and whisk to combine. Let sauce cool until the consistency is suitable for drizzling over brownies.
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 9"x9" baking pan or 7"x11" ceramic dish with parchment paper. Spray with cooking spray.
2. In a double boiler or heat resistant bowl over a pot of simmering water, melt 10 ounces of chocolate chips and butter. Whisk until smooth. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Whisk flour, baking power, salt, cocoa powder and espresso powder together in a small bowl.
4. Whisk eggs in a small bowl. Add sugar in small amounts, whisking until well combined. Blend in vanilla extract.
5. Add melted chocolate to egg mixture and whisk until combined.
6. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture in small amounts, whisking until incorporated. Do not over mix.
7. Pour the batter into baking dish.
8. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven briefly and top with pecans and 3 ounces of chocolate chips. Return dish to oven and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
9. Drizzle slightly cooled caramel sauce over the top of the brownies. Cool completely on a cooling rack before cutting.
https://southernboydishes.com/2014/06/13/pecan-turtle-brownies/You may also like:
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OH golly – these look divine!
My sister used to be just like you – as a kid she would eat EVERYTHING and never put on an ounce! She could have demolished a whole pan of these and still have been hungry! ๐
Oh Bill! Those look absolutely wicked!!
Thank you, Constance!
From one skinny kid to another I say let’s eat… GREG
Agreed, Greg!
I was the same way in high school. Although I was fat compared to you — same height, but I weighted 135 pounds! And I ate all the time. Can’t eat that way these days, which is a good thing. These look great — I love pecans, and these turtles look delish. Thanks.
Ha ha, John. You were way overweight!
I used to LOVE turtles as a kid! I should have waited until I wasn’t starving to come look at this post, though — PINNING! ๐
We had to give all but four away. Can you say “no willpower”? ๐ Thanks, Ninj!
Bill, these look fantastic, from start to end – when it cools off enough to bake again, these will be on the list!
Thanks so much for dropping by SBD, Donalyn!
I remember being so starving when I was a kid too. I would get home and just pounce on the fridge. I love this combination of flavors. And your photos are beautiful. The little swirl of gooey caramel in the foreground is great. And I love the blend of crisp focus and blurred background. Pinned!
Thank you so much, Katie!
Oh I love turtles! And what awesome brownies too. Pinned to save for later.
Thank, Renee!!