Oh. My. Waistline.
Y'all. I almost have no words for these. Caramel Brownies, sometimes called Knock You Naked Brownies *ahem*, might be my very favorite dessert. If not my very favorite, it's definitely in the top 3.
Caramel Brownies are traditionally made with a German Chocolate cake mix (if cake mix offends you, please stop reading now), caramels, chocolate chips, and pecans. But, when I bought these caramel-filled chocolate chips, I couldn't help but wonder if they'd work.
I also switched out the pecans for this version and added Marcona almonds. If you've never had Marcona almonds, they are buttery and rich and so addictive. They can also be REALLY pricey. I find that the best ones (and the most expensive ones) are in the deli section of my grocery store, near the cheeses. I've also found pre-packaged ones that are not as pricey, but still do the trick. I used those here. Feel free to use regular almonds.
Oh, and I added a few pinches of sea salt. You can't go wrong with sea salt and chocolate.
When I took these out of the oven yesterday, I was a little worried that they wouldn't live up to the original. I let them cool, and then (before I ate lunch, big mistake), I cut off a little square. And then another. And then another. The next thing you know, my "lunch" consisted solely of this new rendition of caramel brownies. This is called: winning.
Double Chocolate Caramel Brownies with Marcona Almonds & Sea Salt
{makes on 9x13" pan}2 (9-ounce) packages caramel-filled chocolate chips
2/3 cup evaporated milk, divided
1 box Devil's Food cake mix
3/4 cup salted butter, melted
1/3 cup chopped Marcona almonds
fleur de sel or other fine sea salt
Preheat oven to 350.
Over low heat, melt one package PLUS 1/2 cup of the caramel-filled chocolate chips with 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Set aside.
In a bowl, stir together the cake mix, remaining 1/3 cup evaporated milk, and melted butter. Use an offset spatula to spread 1/2 of the batter in an ungreased 9x13" pan. Bake for 6 minutes.
Take the pan out of the oven and pour the melted chocolate caramel mixture evenly over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining chocolate chips, then with the almonds.
Dollop the remaining batter over the top, it will not cover the entire top. You'll see some of the caramel peeking through. Add a few pinches of sea salt over the top.
Bake for 15-20 minutes more, until done. Do not overbake, caramel brownies are meant to be a little gooey. :)
Cool on a wire rack before cutting.
If you called these Knock You Naked Brownies before...these are going to knock you naked-er.
