Moist chocolate chip brownies with a gooey caramel layer in the center. The caramel layer is made with the cube-shaped, soft-ish caramel candies that are individually wrapped.
Ingredients
1 (18.25 oz) package German chocolate cake mix (see note *)
1 cup chopped nuts of choice (walnut, pecan, or peanut are good options)
1/3 cup + 1/2 cup evaporated milk, divided
1/2 cup melted butter
60 vanilla caramels unwrapped (about one 14-ounce package)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
- Pre-heat oven to 350F and grease a 9x9x2-inch (see note **) glass baking dish. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry cake mix, nuts, 1/3 cup evaporated milk and melted butter. Press half of the batter into the bottom of prepared pan and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven.
- In the microwave or top of a double boiler melt caramels with remaining 1/2 cup evaporated milk. When caramel mixture is well mixed, pour over baked layer. Cover with chocolate chips. Chill for about an hour or until the caramel is hard. Press the remaining batter on top of morsels. Return to oven and bake 25 minutes (or less for gooier brownies). Let cool before cutting.
Notes
- * Since this recipe was posted, cake mix boxes have shrunk from 18.25 ounces, to 16.5 ounces, to, as of this writing, 15.25 ounces. Many “cake mix” recipes don’t work anymore because a box of cake mix is not what it used to be. My advice: use only recipes that specify EXACTLY what size box this was developed for, and avoid any recipes that just call for “1 box of cake mix” without specifying which size! The Cake Decorist has a great in-depth article on this, but in short:
— to turn a 16.5 oz cake mix into an 18.25 oz mix, add six tablespoons of all-purpose flour
— to turn a 15.25 oz cake mix into an 18.25 oz mix, add in 11 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
— best option: keep a spare box of yellow cake mix for this purpose and use a kitchen scale to weigh out the exact amount you need to add. You can mix yellow cake mix with any flavor. - ** The original recipe called for a 9×13″ pan but many reviewers felt like this made brownies that were too thin, and after testing, I agreed. The recipe has been updated to the 9×9″ pan as per reviewer recommendations.
- Photo by cookbookqueen cc.
- This recipe supposedly originated at the Salt Creek Restaraunt in Breckenridge, Colorado.