One of the latest food trends is salted caramel. And although I often refrain from becoming a culinary sheep, I think in the case of salted caramels, I was the first person to follow the leader on this one. (Actually I would have jumped off a cliff with the rest of the sheep, metaphorically speaking of course, had it been necessary to do so!) Because if there ever was a combination made in heaven, it’s the salty sweet caramel. And I am a caramel lover. Milk chocolate covered nut filled caramels are my favorite, but caramel sauce on vanilla bean ice cream runs a close second. (Of course my picky stomach doesn’t appreciate either any longer, but a girl can still dream in caramel, right?)

So last week when I was looking for just that special dessert to serve on Valentine’s Day, I decided to make a turtle brownie. And of course, since I was topping the brownie with chocolate chips, pecans, and caramel – why not go one step further and sprinkle the caramel with a wee bit of finishing salt. So I did and it did. (I salted the top and it tasted mighty fine.)

So if you are ever in the mood for a brownie, (as if there was ever a time when you weren’t in the mood for a brownie), whip up a batch of these little darlings. The brownie itself has a wonderful flavor of its own, with a texture that is both cakey and fudgy at the same time. Then top the brownie batter as described above, pop the whole mess into the oven, let cool completely, (the only hard thing about making these brownies), and cut into desired size pieces. Voilà! You have just created an easy to make, easy to serve, and most definitely, easy to eat brownie. Congratulations!

Brownie batter:

• 2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
• ½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. espresso powder (I use Medaglia D’oro)
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. baking soda
• ¾ c. chopped pecans

Caramel drizzle:*

• ½ c. light brown sugar
• 3 T. unsalted butter
• ¼ c. heavy cream
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract

Finishing touch:

• coarse finishing salt (like Fleur de Sel or coarse sea or kosher salt)

Brownies: Melt 1 cup of the chocolate chips and butter together in a medium sized saucepan over low heat until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. In a bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, espresso powder, salt, and baking soda. Add to the chocolate mixture and stir only until the batter is well blended. Pour into a buttered 13 x 9-inch baking pan. (Glass preferably.)

Sprinkle with remaining cup of chocolate chips and the pecans. Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree (for glass) or 350 degrees (for metal) oven on the middle rack for 30-40 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted into the center has just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Meanwhile, prepare the caramel sauce. When the brownies are done, remove from oven and drizzle with the warm caramel. Very lightly sprinkle with finishing salt. Cool on a wire rack. Can be made up to three days ahead.

Caramel drizzle: While the brownies bake, combine the light brown sugar, butter, and heavy cream in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat whisking constantly until the sugar completely melts and the sauce burbles and just starts to thicken, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla. Allow to partially cool and thicken a bit while the brownies finish baking. (You might have a bit of extra sauce. This is not a bad thing. The sauce is wonderful in coffee or dolloped over ice cream.)

*If you prefer, you can melt 12 caramels with 2 tablespoons of milk in your microwave and drizzle your brownies with this mixture. It is quicker than making your own caramel, but more costly.