Turtle Brownies

Warm turtle brownies, the stuff food porn dreams are made of. The recipe is adapted from America's Test Kitchen, and while time-intensive for a brownie, I'd say it's definitely worth it. Ultimate Turtle Brownies Makes 25 Adapted from The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2007. For the caramel: 1/4 c plus 2 Tbs heavy cream 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 c water 2 Tbs light corn syrup 1 1/4 c sugar 2 Tbs unsalted butter 1 tsp vanilla For the brownies: 3/4 c flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 8 Tbs (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used bittersweet choc. chips) 2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped 2 eggs, at room temp. 1 c sugar 1/4 tsp salt 2 tsp vanilla 2/3 c chopped pecans, plus 25 pecan halves, toasted, for garnish 1/3 c semisweet chocolate chips To make the caramel: Combine the cream and salt in a small bowl and set aside. In a medium saucepan with a lid, combine the water and corn syrup. Add the sugar to the saucepan and mix, taking care not to let sugar stick to the sides of the pan. Cover, bring to a boil over med-high heat and cook for 3 to 5 min., without stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the liquid is clear. Uncover and cook for 3 to 5 min., without stirring but swirling the pan occasionally, until the liquid is a pale golden color. Reduce the heat to med-low and cook about 1 to 3 min., swirling occasionally, until the caramel is a light amber color and is about 360 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove the saucepan from the heat and carefully add the cream-salt mixture to the center of the pot (the mixture will bubble and steam vigorously). Stir with a whisk until the bubbling subsides. Add the butter and vanilla, stirring to combine. Transfer to a measuring cup or bowl and set aside. To make the brownies: Adjust an oven rack to the lower middle position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9-inch-square baking pan with aluminum foil, allowing the extra foil to hang over the edges of the pan. Lightly grease the foil-lined pan with nonstick spray. Combine the flour and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside. Melt the butter and the bittersweet and unsweetened chocolates in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely bubbling water, stirring occasionally until smooth; set aside to cool slightly. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar, salt and vanilla. Add the melted chocolate mixture to the egg mixture. Add the flour mixture and stir until almost combined. Add the chopped pecans and chocolate chips, and mix. To assemble: Spread half of the brownie batter in the prepared baking pan. Drizzle 1/4 c of the caramel over the brownie batter. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining batter over the caramel; spread evenly into the corners of the pan. Drizzle an additional 1/4 c caramel over the top. Using the tip of a knife, swirl the caramel and batter. Bake for 35 to 40 min. (it took me about 55 min.), until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack. If necessary, heat the remaining caramel (you should have about 3/4 c) in the microwave on high for 45 to 60 sec. until it is hot and pourable but still thick, stirring once or twice. Pour the caramel over the brownies and use a spatula to spread the caramel evenly. Refrigerate the brownies, uncovered, until they are fully chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove from the baking pan by lifting the foil extensions. Cut into 25 evenly sized squares. Press a pecan half onto the surface of each brownie. Serve chilled or at room temp.