Sweet, Salty, Chewy, and Crunchy Brownies
I seriously have no idea what to call these things. If I listed all the ingredients in them, they’d become something along the lines of “Pretzel, Peanut, Salted Caramel Brownies”. But I kind of like describing them by the contrasting aspects of those ingredients. Hence “Sweet, Salty, Chewy, Crunchy Brownies”. My friend M preferred to just call them “Super Brownies”. Whatever you decide to call them, they’re awesome.
I whipped these up for a little gathering of friends and we could barely put a dent in them! They’re very rich and indulgent, so even though I had cut the 8×8 pan of brownies into 16 pieces, a bunch of us still prefered to share one brownie. Definitely plan to have a cup of cold milk nearby when you enjoy these.
Sweet, Salty, Chewy, and Crunchy Brownies
Yield: 16
Ingredients:
1 batch brownies (made from mix or scratch)
1 (11 ounce) bag Kraft Caramel Bits, or about 3/4 of a bag of Kraft Caramels, unwrapped
1/4 cup half & half
1/2 tsp sea salt
12 ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp shortening
1 cup mini pretzels, slightly broken
1 cup lightly salted peanuts, roughly chopped
Directions:
Line an 8x8 or 9x9 pan with foil all the way to the top and brush with oil. Make the brownies and cool completely.
Melt the caramels with the half and half in a large bowl in the microwave on high heat. Stir every thirty seconds until melted. Pour over cooled brownies. Sprinkle sea salt on top of caramel. Let cool until set.
Melt the chocolate and shortening in a large bowl in the microwave on high heat. Stir every thirty seconds until melted. Mix in the pretzels and peanuts. Spread over brownies. Cool and serve.
Recipe adapted from The Cooking Photographer
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
These look SO good. I was actually looking for s’mores _____ because I wanted to bake something with chocolate and marshmallows. These may be just the thing!
These are so cute! Now I’m craving real smores!
So freakin cute, I love them, so would my boys. Just today, Liam was picking up sticks in the yard and asked if he could start a fire so that he could make smores. I kid you not. He is 5. Where do they get these ideas?
Adorable Jen! Thanks so much!
I lurve smores! Your mini smore cupcakes are so fabulous. Great job!
-Clara
yum! what a great idea!
That idea is brilliant! Smores is one of my favorite all time treats and who doesn’t love a mini muffin? Wow, what a great idea.
WOW. those look completely luscious!
want some.
i’m hoping to enter the hero challenge this time, but i can’t quite decide what to make. . .
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kate
http://www.thecleanplateclub.net
join the cookie carnival!
http://www.bubbleandsqueak.biz/cleanplateclub/2008/03/cookie-carnival-march.html
These are so wrong, but so right! That batch would be seriously unsafe in my house. They’d have to be given away immediately or I’d risk eating every last one and never fitting in my pants again.
These will be perfect for an upcoming family vacation. We’re not camping, but are renting a house with a fire pit and we usually spend every night out there making s’mores. I can easily make the cupcakes beforehand and then we can roast the marshmallows outside. It will be something cute and different. Thanks for this recipe!!!