Brownie Brittle Sundae With Strawberry Sauce And Caramel Walnuts Recipes

HOMEMADE BROWNIE SUNDAES

Steps:

• In a large heavy saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat; stir until smooth. Cool., In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar on low speed until combined. Beat on medium-high until thickened and lemon-colored, about 12 minutes. Beat in vanilla and chocolate mixture. Fold in flour and salt just until blended (batter will be thick). Fold in walnuts if desired. , Transfer to two greased 13x9-in. baking pans. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for 15 minutes. , In a large saucepan, combine the cream, sugar and butter. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil, without stirring. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Cool for 3 minutes. , Place cocoa in a heat-proof bowl. Carefully whisk hot liquid into cocoa until smooth (do not scrape pan). Cut brownies into squares; serve with ice cream and hot fudge sauce. Garnish with whipped cream and cherries if desired.

WARM CARAMEL BROWNIE SUNDAES

Steps:

• To make the brownies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8x8-inch baking dish.
• Put the chocolate in a heat-proof glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a paper towel, and microwave at 30-second intervals until just melted, 1 to 3 minutes depending on your microwave. Or, if you don't have a microwave, bring about 1 inch water to a simmer in the bottom of a double boiler or in saucepan into which another pan will fit without touching the water. Put the chocolate in the top of the double boiler or in the top pan, and let the water simmer until the chocolate melts, 2 to 3 minutes; remove from the heat and set aside.
• In a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon, beat the butter with the sugar until creamy and light colored. Add the melted chocolate and the vanilla and stir until smooth. In a small bowl with a fork, beat the eggs. Pour the eggs into the chocolate mixture and blend well. Stir in flour. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake on the middle rack until a knife inserted into the center of the brownies comes out not quite clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes.
• While the brownies bake, make the caramel sauce. Put the sugar and 1/2 cup water in a non-aluminum saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved (the liquid will look clear), 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium and cook without stirring until the liquid-called a sugar syrup-turns a caramel color, about 20 minutes. (You'll see the syrup develop big, slow-breaking bubbles as the water boils away, and then it will begin to darken around the edges of the pan. Swirl the pan a little for even cooking.)
• When the syrup has turned a dark amber color, remove the pan from the heat and immediately pour in the cream. Stand back-the caramel will sputter. Stir to combine. (The sauce will be lumpy-that's normal. The caramel hardens on contact with the cream.) Return to low heat to melt the caramel and cook until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
• While the oven is still hot, spread the pecans out on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant, about 10 minutes.
• To serve, cut four 4-inch brownies and put them in something attractive-a shallow bowl, a deep plate, or a wide-bowled, long-stemmed something. Add a couple of scoops of ice cream. Pour some of the sauce over and sprinkle with the nuts. Watch them drool.

CARAMEL SAUCE FOR BROWNIE SUNDAES

Steps:

• Cook sugar, salt and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar is a medium amber color, about 7 minutes; wash down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent crystals from forming. Remove from heat. Stir in heavy cream; add butter, and stir until combined. Let cool to room temperature; stir in vanilla. Sauce can be stored in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Reheat gently; serve at room temperature.

BROWNIE BRITTLE SUNDAE WITH STRAWBERRY SAUCE AND CARAMEL WALNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on at least 2 sides. Grease the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
• For the brownie brittle: Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Melt the butter and chocolate in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, then remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Stir in the sugar, eggs and vanilla, then add the flour mixture and stir to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even, thin layer. Sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Bake until the edges are crisp and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool in the pan on a cooling rack.
• Meanwhile, make the strawberry sauce: Combine the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the berries break down, about 10 minutes. Stir together the vanilla and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth, then stir the slurry into the strawberry sauce. Cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat to cool slightly. You should have about 1 1/2 cups of strawberry sauce.
• For the caramel walnuts: Add the walnuts to a medium saute pan set over medium heat. Cook, tossing frequently, until toasted, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool. In another medium saute pan, combine the sugar with 1/4 cup water over medium heat; simmer, swirling the pan, until dark amber in color, 10 to 12 minutes. Slowly whisk in the heavy cream until smooth. Once the bubbles subside, stir in the butter and toasted walnuts. You should have about 2 cups of caramel walnuts.
• Use the foil overhang to help lift the brownie out of the pan. Break or cut the brownie brittle into roughly 2-inch pieces. Scoop the vanilla ice cream into a sundae dish, then top with some of the brownie brittle, strawberry sauce and warm caramel walnuts.