Chocolate Caramel Layered Brownies

This is an ode to Brownies!  Brownies are what I'm known for among my friends and the teachers at school.  My kids love them and I have never met anyone who doesn't like them.  This take on my standard Brownie recipe and is perfect for dessert (served hot with ice-cream and syrup) or as a special treat for a friend or teacher.  With Christmas not that far away (don't say I didn't warn you!) these make a wonderful gift: friends, teachers, neighbours and so on.  Who doesn't love a home made gift?  And yes, these look as good as they taste.

When Halloween is happening I buy bulk chocolates and store them away for baking.  I personally like Snickers bars and Mars Bars (Milky Ways in North America).  There are so many things you can make with them.  This recipe is just one.

Recipe:

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs at room temp.
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 1/4 cups flour (a bit extra than normal due to the caramel layer)
500g (just over a pound) of jersey caramels or soft camels
12  snack size Snickers or Mars bars, each sliced into 3 or 4
1/2 cup mini choc-chips

Pre-heat your oven to as hot as it will go. Prepare a 18x28 cm (9x12 inch) baking tray by greasing it and lining with baking paper.
Place the caramels in a microwave safe bowl and set aside.
Open and slice the Snickers bars and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and eggs until thick and creamy (about 3-5 minutes).
Add in the cocoa powder and the flour and beat again for a further couple of minutes.
While this is happening, melt your caramels in the microwave (cook in 30 second increments, stern well after each until melted)
Pour 2/3 of the mix into the bottom of the prepared tin.  Pour all the caramel over the brownie dough and work to get a little bit everywhere, don't go right to the edges as they will burn and be hard to get out of the pan.  One last thing - work fast!  I use a fork to do this.
Using a spoon, drop small mound-fulls of dough over the caramel layer.  Use your fork to connect the mounds of dough to make a thin layer.
Drop the Snickers over the top, then sprinkle with the mini choc-chips.
Place into the prepared oven and reduce the heat to 180oC (375oF) and bake for 32 minutes.
Leave in the pan to cool completely, once cold slice into squares or rectangles.
Store in an airtight container such as Tupperware or wrap to give away as a gifts.

Happy Cooking!
Elizabeth x