| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 20 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Inactive: | 35 min |
| Cook: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 9 bars |
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 1/2 cup butter for toffee
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar, plus 3/4 cup for toffee
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large fresh egg, slightly beaten
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup chopped quality milk chocolate
- 2 tablespoons ground almonds
- 1 cup chopped roasted and salted pecans
- 1/8 teaspoon Maldon or other sea salt crystals
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square metal cake pan with parchment.
- In large bowl, whisk together 4 tablespoons melted butter and the melted chocolate. Blend in granulated sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and vanilla. Whisk in egg. Then stir in flour. Spread in pan and bake for 15 minutes, remove and leave oven on.
- Heat 1/2 cup butter and 3/4 cup of the brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil for 2 minutes. Pour over brownie base and bake 7 minutes more. Remove from oven and sprinkle with milk chocolate, let sit 5 minutes, and spread to cover the top. Dust with ground almonds and then pecans. Sprinkle with salt. Press down pecans. Cool, then freeze 30 minutes before cutting. Serve at room temperature.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 9 servings |
| Calories | 387 |
| Total Fat | 21 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 49 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 41 g |
| Protein | 4 g |
| Cholesterol | 37 mg |
| Sodium | 54 mg |
Reviews
This recipe has become a standard “go-to” for my family. It is AWESOME! I’ve had many, many compliments on it when I have takent these to potlucks and parties; one person even said last week that these “are the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth!” I use only dark chocolate as my family and I just prefer it to milk and I always keep them cold after cutting – they really are better cold than at room temp.
I’ve made this several times and it’s been fantastic each time. Last time, I accidently forgot the flour and I think it came out even better as it was more fudgy. I think I’ll be leaving out the flour or using less of it from now on.
The only thing I had to go out and buy for this recipe was the 8″ metal pan — normally all I use is glass bakeware. I’m not sure why this recipe is rated Intermediate, because it’s pretty simple to put together. I’m glad I gave most away because I practically inhaled the few pieces I did keep for “the family.” This is definitely very rich — if I had cut it into the 9 pieces as indicated by the recipe, we would have been in need of medical help due to the sugar overload! My 8″ square was cut into 16 pieces and that worked out really well. I will be making these brownies again because they were a big hit with everyone. Next time, I’ll be sure to press the salted pecans into the melted chocolate more firmly, because the nuts that didn’t get pressed in far enough just fell off during slicing once chilled. I think I’ll also try dark chocolate in place of the milk chocolate – as I’ve gotten older, I’ve developed a greater appreciation for the flavor of the dark stuff.
After watching the challenge on TV, I immediately pulled the recipe from FOODTV.com As I read the recipe, it looked like something right up my alley and I was up for the challenge. It was fun purchasing all the ingredients I normally don’t keep around (sea salt, bittersweet chocolate, unsalted butter) and once I started, it was so different from any recipe I put together. All that chocolate, especially knowing that once you chop up the milk chocolate on the cake, I had no idea it would melt once I spread it and then pushing in the almonds and pecans, I realized the wax paper was the right tool for that job. I popped in freezer and pulled out to cut. The recipients of this were quite happy, especially those Sweet and Salty Ladies!
I suggest cutting into small pieces, as it’s quite rich, and I’d say more the consistency of Fudge, than Brownies for sure.
This is a keeper but don’t keep to yourself…spread the love!
These bars were incredible. They were on the sweet side, but the sweetness worked well with the salted nuts. If you make this with regular toasted nuts as opposed to salty, you won’t get the same effect and the recipe might be a little too sweet. But made as directed, these are great. The judges deducted points for the sugar mixture being gritty, but I suspect they tried these bars shortly after they were made. Mine were a bit gritty at first, but they seemed to be less so after a few hours of chilling.
perfect mix wish it was my own