Are we celebrating back to school? Back to work? End of summer? I’ll be honest, I don’t have the faintest pulse on how everyone in America is doing right now, but it’s my sincerest hope that you’re all happy and settling into the changes we’re facing. If you, like me, are looking for a yummy weekend pick-me-up, look no further than these caramel ganache brownies. They’re sweet, salty, and entirely rich and delicious, and I can’t wait to tell you how to make them!

Aimee started Kindergarten this week, and it had me in all kinds of emotions. The thought occurred to me that we’ve already had her in our home about 1/3 of the time she will likely live under our roof, and the sadness absolutely paralyzed me. How can it be that my little girl is growing up so fast? Of course the boys aren’t far behind her, and while every parent loves to see their child learn and grow, there’s also this pit in my stomach that just wishes we could keep them forever. I don’t know- check back in with me in a few years. Maybe I’ll be singing a different tune.

Anyways, this time of year I love the idea of having back to school treats around the house. We always have breakfast pancakes and some kind of cookie, but this year I also added in some brownies. I’ve been making these, a rendition of Alice Medrich’s famous recipe, for a while now, and the caramel ganache makes for a fun kind of spin. These caramel ganache brownies are intensely rich and chocolatey without being the slightest bit bitter, and the soft ganache on top makes for a the absolute yummiest glue for all that flaked salt. Let’s talk about how to make them!

To make these caramel ganache brownies, we start by melting butter, sugar and cocoa powder over a double boiler. Once the mixture is smooth and the sugar has melted, we remove it from heat and stir in eggs, flour, and chocolate chips. Bake the brownies in a square pan until a toothpick inserted just barely comes out clean. In the meantime, we can start on the ganache. We first make a simple caramel (for help on that click here!) and the stir the mixture into a bowl of chocolate chips. Allow it to set up slightly in the fridge or on the counter until it’s thickened into a spoonable consistency. From here, you have the option of spreading it directly on the brownies or whipping it until pale and fluffy. The consistency will change slightly, but both ways are entirely delicious. Your choice! Slice the caramel ganache brownies and serve!

I hope you guys will make time for these brownies in the coming weeks! They are so super yummy, and the perfect treat to take us into these back to school days. Happy baking to you guys and see you next week!

If you like these caramel ganache brownies you should check out:

Brownie Petit Fours
Brown Butter Bourbon Madeleines
Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tarts
Peppermint Bark Brownies
Pretzel Shortbread Peanut Butter Brownies

Caramel Ganache Brownies

These rich chocolate brownies have chocolate chunks throughout and a whipped caramel ganache topping that makes these an indulgent sweet and salty dessert.

• Author: Kate Wood, adapted from Alice Medrich
• Prep Time: 20
• Cook Time: 30
• Total Time: 90
• Yield: 16
• Category: Dessert

Ingredients

For the brownies:

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1–1/4 cups sugar
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa or Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips

For the ganache:

• ¾ cup (4 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• ½ cup heavy cream
• Fleur de Sel, if desired

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease an 8” pan and set aside. For easy removal from the pan, feel free to line your pan with a large sheet of foil prior to greasing.
2. In a double boiler over simmering water, combine the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir regularly to prevent scorching until butter has melted and the mixture is slightly heated. Remove from heat and use a hand mixer or whisk to stir in the vanilla and eggs and then fold in the flour and chocolate chips. Spread the batter into the pan and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 22-25 minutes.
3. In the meantime, begin to prep your ganache. Place the chocolate chips in a small mixing bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and water and stir just until the mixture begins to bubble. Stop stirring and allow the mixture to cook. You can gently swirl the pan occasionally to encourage even browning. Once the mixture turns to an amber golden color, remove the pan from heat and carefully whisk in small bits of the cream at a time until it is all incorporated. Be careful- the mixture will bubble and sputter. Put back on heat to stir until the mixture is smooth and then pour the caramel mixture over top of the chocolate chips. Gently stir with a whisk until the mixture is smooth. Pop the ganache into the fridge and stir it every 10 minutes for about 30 minutes until it thickens to a spoonable mixture. It will feel about as loose as Nutella. Go ahead and spread the mixture onto the cooled brownies, or, if desired, whip the mixture with beaters until it lightens and fluffs up. Spread the whipped mixture onto the brownies and sprinkle with a small bit of the fleur de sel. You can refrigerate prior to cutting for neat slices or just dive right in!