I should probably apologise for adding this recipe but it’s so good that I think you will actually thank me. Your hips may not, but one piece won’t be that bad *cough*. It’s a delicious nutty caramel layer which sits on a decadent brownie base.
The only thing to watch out here is that you can’t let the caramel burn or it will taste awful. You have to just give it the time it needs without interruption – about 15 minutes – and all will go well. So get a magazine or whatever you need to keep you stirring for the time required.
Preheat oven to 160C or 140C fan and grease a 20cm x 30 cm baking tin. Make sure to line it so you have paper hanging over the edge to help lift out the caramels easily.
Ingredients:
For the chocolate base:
200g butter
50g cocoa powder
300g dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
225g wheat & gluten free plain flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
For the caramel:
300g mixed nuts
175g butter
115g caster sugar
3 tbsp. golden syrup
397g condensed milk (one tin)
Firstly, toast the nuts by spreading them out on a baking tray and pop into the oven for about 8 minutes. Remove and put to one side.
For the base, get a medium size saucepan and melt the butter over a medium heat, stir in the cocoa powder and then the sugar and stir well till it’s combined. Remove from the heat and stir in the eggs.
Next stir in the sifted flour and xanthan gum. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level it out. Just make sure it’s distributed evenly in the tin so you have a fairly flat result at the end for the caramel topping.
Bake for 20 mins or until it’s firm to touch. Remove and leave to cool.
To make the nutty caramel, put the butter, sugar, golden syrup and condensed milk into a medium size pan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved.
Bring this to the boil and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture becomes thick and dark in colour. I find it can take up to 20 minutes. Just don’t stop stirring! Remove from the heat and let it cool for 15 minutes.
Once cooled, stir in the toasted mixed nuts into the caramel and spoon this evenly over the cooled chocolate base. Then place into the fridge and chill until it’s firm.
Cut into bars and store them in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to 7 days. A whole week of heaven!!
As always, bake with love
Soraya x