Welcome back to campus after what I hope was an exciting interim for all! I was fortunate enough to spend my interim studying Literature of the Eastern Caribbean – in the Caribbean. My trip was amazing and I learned a lot about the enchanting culture and literature of the Caribbean, made some great new friends, and of course loved being in the gorgeous sunshine.
While I had a great trip, I was excited to return back to America and to the familiarity of my house and campus. One of the things I missed the most while abroad was being able to cook my own food. I craved making pancakes, brownies, or making dinner for my family. Upon returning home over interim break I had a long list of delicious treats I wanted to bake or cook.
I was watching my favorite food icon, The Pioneer Woman, on Food Network over break and saw her make her famous Knock You Naked Brownies. The brownies were a thick devils food cake mix with a layer of caramel and chocolate chips. I was instantly inspired to recreate this heavenly recipe in a way that would be easy for dorm cooking. This caramel brownie recipe is one of my new favorites, and my roommates were very willing to help me finish them. My new recipe calls for only 3 ingredients but creates some seriously delicious and caramel brownies.
All you need is:
– 1 brownie mix (I used Ghiradelli)
– 1 bag of caramels
– 1/3 cup evaporated milk
1) Start by mixing up the brownie mix and preheating oven according to the package directions.
2) Line a baking dish with tin foil or parchment paper. This will make for an easier clean up since caramel can be tricky to clean.
3) Pour half the brownie batter into the baking dish. Bake for half the time stated on the box. Deciding baking time might be tricky, but just keep an eye on the brownies and air on the side of being too gooey as opposed to burnt.
4) When done baking, start making the caramel. Unwrap all the caramels (you don’t have to use the whole bag if you don’t want). Place caramels and evaporated milk in a microwave safe dish.
5) Microwave and stir until completely melted, approximately 4 minutes. Try microwaving a minute at a time then stirring to combine. NOTE: If this sounds too complicated you could also just buy premade caramel sauce at the grocery store.
6) Pour the melted caramel on top of the half-baked brownie and then pour the rest of the brownie batter on top of the caramel and bake for the rest of the time (as stated by the box directions). Once again, be sure to keep an eye on the brownies and make sure they are not burning.
7) Enjoy!