Oreo Caramel Brownie Bombs

 

Today's recipe got a lot of attention and was the object of some good-natured fun from members of our Rock Recipes Facebook Page, when I posted a couple of preview photos there yesterday and asked for folks to suggest a name for this incredibly indulgent recipe. Some of the suggestions, especially those from friends in private messages were of a nature that...well, let's just say I wouldn't want to enter any of them into a search engine. :)

 

 

With a bottom layer of soft chocolate chip cookie, which is topped by broken Oreos and gobs of caramel before a layer of soft chocolatey brownie, it's no wonder that this one ticks a lot of boxes for dessert and sweet lovers. A drizzle of chocolate ganache to crown these beautiful squares may be over the top but when you've gone this far, why not?

 

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper and again lightly grease the parchment. An unlined pan could result in some of the caramel sticking to it, making the squares difficult to remove.

The base is partially pre-baked so you will want to have the brownie batter, caramel and broken Oreo cookies all prepared and ready to quickly top the base and get it back in the oven ASAP.

 

Chocolate Chip Base 

 

Cream until light and fluffy:

½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
Add
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
Beat well.

Sift together
1 cup + 3 tbsp flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda

Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, folding to combine well. Fold in

½ cup chocolate chips

Spread in the prepared baking pan and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. (325 degrees for glass bake ware) Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with

18 Oreo cookies, broken into quarters

2 dozen soft caramel candies or two dozen teaspoons homemade soft caramel   (Our homemeade soft caramel recipe is here.)

 

Brownie Batter

3/4cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/4teaspoon salt
1/2cup butter
5 squares unsweetened chocolate
3/4cup granulated sugar
¼ cup light-brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sift together flour, cocoa and salt. Melt together butter and unsweetened chocolate over low heat. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm. Add eggs,vanilla and sugars. Stir very well until sugars are dissolved.

Pour batter over the Oreos and caramel, return to the oven and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the suface of the brownie batter is no longer glossy. Cool completely.

Top with a drizzle of chocolate ganache if desired. Cut in 2 inch squares.

 

Chocolate Ganache

In the microwave, scald 1/3 cup whipping cream, almost to boiling. Pour over 1 &1/3 cups chocolate chips. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth. Spoon the ganache into a Ziploc bag and using sharp scissors, snip a small corner of the bag off and pipe a thin stream of the ganache in a continuous circular pattern over the squares.