not your usual brownie. { spiced brownies with salted caramel frosting }

Hey there, I have a new kitchen!

I finally moved to my new apartment last week - which I must say is oh-so-cozy - and have now the most itty-bitty kitchen I've probably ever cooked in. Nonwithstanding, it is incredibly practical and, somehow, it makes me eager to cook much more often!

I had been craving cake - actually the process of making it more than the real thing ;) - for a really long time... And then this 'World Baking Day' came and it was a Sunday, when all supermarkets are closed around here, and in my fridge, freezer and pantry one could count a box of pasta, yogurt, some tomato sauce, fruit, breakfast cereal a lot of frozen fish. Meaning... no cake material. No cake, no bake until yesterday. Yes, yesterday I finally got everything I needed and I had to do something big. This was it.

I was actually planning on not posting this recipe, because it got so decadent that I started thinking why shouldn't I have a secret recipe, and why shouldn't this be it. But I figured that you really deserve - and absolutely must - plunge into a batch of these.

I wish I had better pictures, but I keep using my really damaged iPhone camera. I hope that soon I'll be able to get the camera I've been dreaming of.

Brownies com um toque especial e cobertura de caramelo salgado

Brownies:

- 200g de chocolate Pantagruel

- 100g de manteiga

- 125g de açúcar

- 3 ovos

- 50g de farinha sem fermento

- 50ml de café forte frio

- uma pitada generosa de gengibre, pimenta, piri-piri moído

- uma pitada de sal

Molho de caramelo salgado:

- 1 chávena de açúcar

- 3 colheres de sopa de água

- 85g de manteiga, à temperatura ambiente

- 1/2 chávena de natas, à temperatura ambiente

- 1 colher de sobremesa de sal

Cobertura:

- 1/2 chávena de molho de caramelo salgado

- 250g de philadelphia

- 100g de manteiga

- 185g de açúcar em pó

Para o bolo, derreter o chocolate com a manteiga em banho maria,

Bater os ovos com o açúcar até obter uma mistura cremosa esbranquiçada,

Incorporar o café com um salazar,

Incorporar suavemente a farinha peneirada,

Por fim, incorporar o chocolate e os restantes ingredientes,

Verter sobre um tabuleiro fundo forrado com papel vegetal,

Levar ao forno a 150ºC durante cerca de 15 min,

Deixar arrefecer sobre uma rede e cortar em pequenos rectângulos

Para preparar o molho de caramelo salgado, derreter o açúcar numa panela alta sobre lume médio com a água, mexendo a princípio para dissolver homogeneamente, até obter uma cor âmbar e um aroma de caramelo torrado,

Juntar a manteiga e misturar energeticamente com um fouet,

Juntar as natas e envolver também,

Verter numa taça funda, deixar arrefecer. Pode se conservar no frigorífico.

Para fazer a cobertura, bater a manteiga com a philadelphia durante cerca de 2 minutos, até obter uma mistura homogénea e bem cremosa,

Bater o caramelo com esta mistura,

Acrescentar o açúcar em pó e bater até obter a consistência desejada. Se necessário juntar mais açúcar em pó.

Cobrir o bolo com a cobertura e polvilhar com confettis de chocolate.

Brownies with a kick with salted caramel frosting

Brownies:

- 200g Pantagruel chocolate

- 100g butter

- 125g sugar

- 3 eggs

- 50g flour

- 50ml strong coffee, cold

- a generous dash of ginger, pepper and dry chili pepper powder

- a dash of salt

Salted caramel sauce:

- 1 cup sugar

- 3 tbsp water

- 85g butter, room temperature

- 1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature

- 1/2 tbsp salt

Frosting:

- 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce

- 250g cream cheese

- 100g butter

- 185g powder sugar

To make the cake, melt the chocolate and butter over bain-marie,
Beat eggs with sugar down to a creamy whiter mixture,
Mix in the coffee,
Fold in the sifted flour,
Fold in chocolate and remaining ingredients,
Pour over a baking tray lined with parchment paper,
Bake at 150ºC for about 15 min,
Let cool completely before cutting small rectangles

To make the sauce, melt sugar with the water in a tall pot, mixing carefully until everything dissolves smoothly, and let cook until it reaches an ambar colour and the aroma of toffee caramel,

Add the butter and mix vigorously,

Add cream and repeat,

Pour in a jar, let cool. Can be stored in the refrigerator.

For the frosting, beat the butter and the cream cheese for about 2 minutes, to a creamy and homogeneous mixture,

Mix in the caramel,

Mix in the powder sugar and beat until reaching the desired consistency. Add extra sugar if needed.

Frost the brownies and sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles.