Caramel Brownies

Chris Schaefer started with her grandmother's handwritten brownie recipe, then added caramels. We couldn't decide which we liked better, the crunchy outside pieces or the gooey inside ones. Leftovers are unlikely, but you can store the brownies airtight up to 1 day. PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 1/4 hours.

Yield: Makes 35 squares

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  cups  (3/4 lb.) butter
• 3  cups  sugar
• 5  large eggs
• 1  tablespoon  vanilla
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 1  teaspoon  baking powder
• 2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1  cup  unsweetened cocoa
• 14  ounces  (40 to 50) square caramel candies such as Kraft or See's, unwrapped

Preparation

1. In a 3- to 4-quart pan over medium-high heat, melt butter, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. Stir in sugar, then eggs and vanilla, until blended. Stir in salt and baking powder. Add flour and cocoa and stir until batter is smooth.

3. Butter a 12- by 20-inch piece of foil. Line a 9- by 13-inch pan with foil, buttered side up, letting foil hang over pan ends. Scrape batter into pan. Evenly space caramels over batter.

4. Bake brownies in a 325° oven just until a toothpick inserted in the center (not in a caramel) comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool.

5. Lift brownies with foil from pan to a counter. Peel back sides of foil. With a long, hot knife, cut between caramels into 35 squares; occasionally rinse knife in very hot water and wipe clean.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

224 (40% from fat)

Protein:

2.7g

Fat:

10g (sat 6.1)

Carbohydrate:

33g

Fiber:

1.1g

Sodium:

200mg

Cholesterol:

53mg