Salted Caramel Brownies

For the last few months, I've been working as a cook and baker at a cafe where I live. My favourite thing to make has been these brownies, and I've just about perfected the perfect recipe! I've also been using gluten free flour to appeal to our gluten-intolerant customers, which still works fine.

Ingredients: 

185g unsalted butter
185g good quality dark chocolate
85g plain flour (gluten free)
40g cocoa powder
3 large eggs
275g caster sugar

For the salted caramel:

120g caster sugar
1tbsp butter
6tbsp double cream
1tsp sea salt

Method: 

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line(!!!) a medium (about 13 inch) square baking tin. Place the broken up chocolate and butter in a microwaveable dish and microwave on full power for about 2 minutes. Don't worry about the chocolate burning, once the butter has melted it will prevent this and help melt the chocolate. Remove from the microwave and stir until fully incorporated. Leave to cool whilst you do the other steps.

2. Whisk the eggs and caster sugar together until it looks thick, creamy and leaves a trail in the bowl. 

3. Sift flour and cocoa powder into the egg mixture, then add the melted chocolate mixture and GENTLY fold together. It's important that you don't beat it together otherwise you'll lose all that air you just beat into the eggs. 

4. Bake in the oven for about half an hour, or until the top looks shiny and the mix doesn't wobble when you try to move it. Remember, underbaking it is better than overbaking it, you want them to be nice and gooey. Note: once out of the oven, leave the brownies in their baking tin so that you can easily pour on the salted caramel later. Otherwise you may be faced with a lot of caramel overspill!

5. Once removed from the oven and cooled, you can make the salted caramel *do not make it whilst the brownies are in the oven, it'll set before the brownies are cool enough to be coated!* 
Start by placing the sugar and 6 tablespoons of water into a saucepan (preferably with a silver or light-coloured base so you can see the changing colour of the sugar). Place on a medium heat and wait for the sugar to dissolve and the mixture to boil. DO NOT STIR! Put down that spoon. No really. You can swirl the mixture around by tilting the pan from side to side, but stirring it will cause it to re-form crystals and cause the mix to be lumpy. 

6. Keep a close eye on your sugar. Once it starts to turn slightly darker than golden brown, remove it from the heat and add the butter and swirl it into the mixture. Now add the cream, being careful as the mixture will bubble and hiss. Now you can stir it all together and stir in the salt. 

7. Wait for it to cool slightly and taste for desired saltyness. Once the mixture is starting to thicken up a little, pour over the brownies creating an even layer. 

8. Leave to set, then cut into brownies. EAT!