Salted Caramel Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients

For the Brownies:

• 1¼ cups unsalted butter (for browning)
• 8 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped
• ¾ cup cocoa powder, divided (¼ cup + ½ cup)
• 1 tablespoon espresso powder
• 1¼ cups cane sugar
• ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup milk chocolate chips
• Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

For Serving:

• Salted caramel sauce, for drizzling
• Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat and Prep the Pan Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Take softened butter and generously grease a 9x13-inch dark metal baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a generous overhang on all sides (this is how you'll lift the brownies out later). Grease the parchment paper with more softened butter. Set aside.
2. Create the Chocolate Base Place the chopped semisweet chocolate, ¼ cup of the cocoa powder, and the espresso powder in a heatproof bowl or large measuring cup. Set aside.
3. Brown the Butter In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the butter foams, then the foam subsides, and small golden-brown bits start to appear on the bottom of the pan. The butter should smell nutty and caramel-like. This takes about 5-7 minutes total. Watch it carefully because it can go from perfectly browned to burnt quickly! As soon as it's golden and fragrant, immediately pour the hot browned butter directly over the chocolate mixture. Whisk vigorously until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool slightly.
4. Beat the Eggs and Sugars In a large bowl using a stand mixer or hand mixer on medium-high speed, beat together the cane sugar, dark brown sugar, vanilla bean paste, salt, and eggs for a full 10 minutes. Don't skip or rush this step! The mixture should become very thick, pale, and fluffy, almost triple in volume. When you lift the beaters, it should fall in thick ribbons that hold their shape on the surface for a few seconds. This is what creates that gorgeous shiny, crinkly brownie top.
5. Combine Chocolate and Egg Mixtures Pour the slightly cooled chocolate and browned butter mixture into the egg and sugar mixture. Using your mixer on low speed or a spatula, fold and blend until completely smooth and well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.
6. Add Flour and Chocolate Chips Sift the remaining ½ cup of cocoa powder and the all-purpose flour directly into the batter. Add the milk chocolate chips. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold everything together with big sweeping motions from the bottom of the bowl up until just combined with no dry streaks remaining. Don't overmix!
7. Bake the First Round Pour the batter into your prepared pan and spread it into an even layer using an offset spatula. Bake for 18 minutes until the top starts to look slightly puffed and set around the edges.
8. The Drop Technique Carefully remove the pan from the oven and place it on a flat, heatproof surface. Hold the pan about 3-4 inches above the surface and drop it firmly 1-2 times. You'll see the center deflate slightly. Immediately sprinkle flaky sea salt generously and evenly over the entire surface.
9. Finish Baking Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 18-20 minutes. The brownies are done when a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out with fudgy, moist crumbs (not wet batter, but definitely not clean). The edges should be set and the center should still look very slightly underdone.
10. Cool Completely Transfer the pan to a wire cooling rack and let the brownies cool completely in the pan. This is crucial and takes about 1-2 hours. Don't rush it! If you cut into them while warm, they'll be too soft and won't hold their shape.
11. Cut and Serve Once completely cool, use the parchment paper overhang to lift the entire slab of brownies out of the pan onto a cutting board. Drizzle generously with salted caramel sauce in a zigzag pattern over the top. Cut into 24 bars using a sharp knife, wiping the blade clean between cuts for the neatest edges. Serve as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream!