Quadruple Chocolate Caramel Brownies

Hello everyone! Hello? Anyone? I'm not sure if anybody is still reading my blog since I fell off the face of the blogging earth. It's been five long months since I posted anything new here but I'm back and I ready to share more foodie adventures, recipes, photos and more. This post is a week late but better later then never. Last year I lost my blogging mojo I planned on getting back on board in the Christmas holidays. Sadly my mum got very sick over Christmas so I took her to the hospital on boxing day and figured she'd be out the next day. She was moved to intensive care and my sister, dad and I were told she had a fifty per cent chance of survival. At that point I couldn't conceive loosing my mum. As each day went by she got weaker and by new years eve morning we lost her forever. It all happened so quickly that most days I still can't believe it. I decided to start posting again because I remembered how proud mum was that made a food blog.  My mum was a great cook , she taught home economics for years at many different high schools. Mums passion for cooking rubbed off on me from an early age. So in honour of my wonderful loving mum here is my first post for 2012 . I love you mum, I miss you every day.

Quadruple Chocolate Caramel Brownies

Ingredients:

1  box of Betty Crocker Triple Chocolate Brownie Mix

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil

1 tablespoon of water

1 packet of Nestle milk chocolate bits

1 can of condensed milk

To start, boil a large pot of water and peel the label off the can of condensed milk. Carefully lower the can into the boiling water with some tongs. Leave the can in the boiling water for roughly one and a half to two hours . You will need to check the water every once and a while as it will evaporate; just keep topping it up with hot water. Once the time is up fish the can out of the water using tongs. Place the can unopened into a bowl of cold water and let it sit for around thirty minutes. If it's still very warm to the touch put it back into cold water and leave for another twenty minutes. Warning: do not open the can if it is hot or if it hasn't been left to cool in water. Otherwise you can expect burning hot caramel to explode in your face. True story.

While the can is cooling, preheat the oven. Check the instructions on the brownie mixture box for the oven temperature as it can vary depending on your oven. Put the brownie mixture, eggs, oil, milk chocolate chips and water in a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until the ingredients are combined.  Do not use an electric beater. Line a pan with baking paper and then scrape the mixture into the pan. Remove the condensed milk can out of the cold water. Read the above warning before opening the can. Pull the lid off facing away from you. Using a table or dessert spoon, scoop out the caramel a bit at a time and put dollops of it all over the brownie mixture. Next take a knife and put the tip into the mixture and run the knife slowly around the pan in a swirling motion, it should leave a slightly marbled effect.  

Pop the pan into the oven and bake for one hour. The  brownie box says to bake it for thirty minutes but when I checked it wasn't cooked properly so I baked it for another half and hour. I was so eager to taste it that I didn't wait until they cooled properly and I when I cut them up they ended up looking like a gooey mess. Even though I baked them for thirty minutes longer than recommended they still ended up being very moist and gooey. It was too soft to cut into lovely neat squares so sadly I don't have any photos. They aren't pretty but I can guarantee they are a creamy chocolate dream that will make you weak at the knees. Although this recipe didn't work out I have plans to work on it further and adjust it so hopefully it will come out looking aesthetically pleasing next time. Stay tuned.

Love Jem

Here is a link to my other blog:

http://littleboo2.blogspot.com.au/