Homemade brownies are a sweet addition to the appetizer table at parties and casual game-day get-togethers. Your guests might forget the score, but I guarantee they’ll remember these brownies!
—Sherry Miller, Columbia Heights, MN
Prep: 20 min. • Bake: 25 min. + chilling • Makes: 2 dozen
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 cup baking cocoa
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
TOPPING
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup 2% milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
12 caramels
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the cocoa, flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to butter mixture.
2. Spread into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 23-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (do not overbake). Cool on a wire rack.
3. In a large bowl, beat confectioners’ sugar, cocoa, butter, milk and vanilla until fluffy. Frost brownies. Sprinkle with pecans. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
4. In a microwave, melt caramels with cream; stir until smooth. Drizzle over the brownies.
HOW TO SOFTEN BUTTER QUICKLY
Cut the butter stick in half so you have two long rectangles side by side. Stack them together and slice again. This yields four butter strips. Keep them stacked, and then slice perpendicular to your cuts. The butter will fall into cubes, and the cubes will soften fairly quickly, in about 15 minutes. (Now’s a good time to measure and prep the remaining ingredients.)