DULCE DE LECHE BROWNIES
- 8 tablespoons (120 g) salted or unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for greasing the pan
- 6 ounces (170 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- ¼ cup (30 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (140 g) flour
- 1 cup (100 g) toasted pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped, optional
- 1 cup (250 ml) confiture de lait (see Note)
Instructions:
This dessert just might make things a little sweeter around you.
- First, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
-  Generously grease an 8-inch (20-cm) square pan and line the bottom with a square of parchment or wax paper.
-  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the chocolate and stir constantly over very low heat until melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth.
-  Add the eggs one at a time, then stir in the sugar, vanilla, and flour. Mix in the nuts, if using.
- Scrape half of the batter into the prepared pan. Drop one-third of the confiture de lait in prune-sized dollops, evenly spaced, over the brownie batter, then drag a knife through to swirl it slightly. Spread the remaining brownie batter over the top, then drop spoonfuls of the remaining confiture de lait over the batter. Use a knife to swirl the confiture ever so slightly.
- (If you overdo it, the whole thing will bake into a bubbly mess. Just drag a knife once or twice through the batter and leave it at that.)
-  Bake for 45 minutes, or until the center feels just slightly firm. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Cut the brownies and wrap individually, then distribute freely.
- STORAGE: These brownies actually become better the second day, and will keep well for up to three days.
- NOTE: Confiture de lait is also known as dulce de leche and cajeta (which is sometimes made with goat milk, which I like, but may not be to everyone’s taste). Because it has become pretty popular over the last few years, you can generally find jars in well-stocked supermarkets and ethnic markets, especially those that specialize in Latin American products.