Caramel- Pecan Brownies

Abandon your diet, and get out the milk.

Just when you think you've tried them all... that you can't possibly find a brownie more decadent than the Cappuccino Brownies, more creamy than the Mascarpone Brownies, or more all-around-fantastic than the Oreo Chunk Brownies... one comes along that produces more drool than you ever thought you could possibly render in a given day: Caramel Pecan Brownies.

This recipe from the latest Fine Cooking magazine, produces a fudgy, fudgy, FUDGY brownie with pecans strewn throughout and a caramel layer on top.

I chose to make my own caramel, as the recipe indicates, but you could certainly use the store-bought stuff if you preferred. Not being a really experienced caramel-maker, I was concerned that my caramel wasn't cooked enough. It was the right color, but it was extremely runny... almost more like a sauce than the gooey stuff that you get in the jar. I poured the whole liquidy mess onto my baked brownies anyways, placed it into the refrigerator and crossed my fingers. Not to worry. It set up nicely, and much of it sunk into the brownies too- making them super moist. A thin layer of caramel was left on top, set just enough to add the garnishes.

I loved how the caramel slightly dribbled off of the sides after cutting them into slices. I placed each brownie on a little piece of parchment paper for easy serving. My guests simply picked up the brownie with the parchment underneath and were able to eat it as a hand-held dessert without getting messy.

For me, caramel + pecans is equivalent to peanut butter + jelly. They just sort of go together in a big way. This brownie is rich and delicious- a definite keeper. But be sure to have plenty of milk around (you'll thank me later). And you can go back to dieting after you plow through a few of these.

This recipe can be found HERE.