Dulce de leche brownies

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 115 g butter, in pieces
• 170 g dark chocolate
• 25 g cocoa powder, unsweetened
• 3 m.-sized eggs
• 200 g sugar
• 140 g flour
• 100 g walnuts or pecans, as desired
• 1 cup condensed milk (Dulce de leche, ready-made or from a dairy store)
• 1 vanilla pod(s)

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 20 minutes

Caramel Chocolate Dream

Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Line a 20 cm square brownie pan with baking paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. You’ll need the overhanging edge to safely lift the brownies out of the pan later. If you’re using a baking frame, you won’t need this. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the chocolate, and melt while stirring. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until a lump-free mixture forms. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then gradually add the sugar, scraped vanilla seeds, and flour, and mix well. If using nuts, mix them in now. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Drop one-third of the dulce de leche (caramel) in dollops onto the batter and spiral a butter knife through the batter (similar to marble cake, but very carefully). Then pour the rest of the batter over the top and spoon on the remaining caramel in dollops. Again, LIGHTLY run the knife through. Bake at 175 degrees Celsius for 35-40 minutes. The brownies are ready when the center feels slightly firm (just press down). Remove from the pan and let cool (if using a baking frame, leave it around the pan to cool). The brownies taste even better the next day, when the chocolate has set nicely.