Carmel Sea Salt Brownies

They've been called 'The Best Brownie EVER'. Now I, personally, consider myself a connoissuer of le brownie so when I see someone claim that theirs is the best...EVER then I have to take notice.

I haven't tried this yet but the description of sweet + salty makes my mouth start watering. Oh yes....I'll be making this right away!

Caramel Sea Salt Brownies

Ingredients:
1.5 sticks butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup caramel sauce, warmed (recipe is below)

Directions
-Preheat the oven to 350°.
-Grease an 8 x 8 square pan. Line with parchment; grease again.
-Sift flour; measure; re-sift with salt.
-Over double boiler, melt butter. Add chocolate, stir until melted. Remove from heat.
-Whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla extract together until fluffy and light in color, add chocolate mixture and mix until combined
-Fold in flour.
-Pour half the batter into pan
-Pour half the caramel sauce over mixture.
-Pour remaining batter over caramel and drizzle remaining caramel sauce over top.
-With a knife or toothpick, drag tip through top caramel and batter layer making a zig zag pattern.
-Bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle sea salt on top. (Do not over bake. Gooey brownies are the way to go!)

Caramel Sauce:
1.5 cups sugar
1/3 cup hot (but not boiling) water
1.5 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-Pour sugar into a sauce pot and caramelize over low heat
-Stir constantly until completely melted and is light brown in color.
-Remove from heat and stir in hot water.
-Return the pan to medium heat and stir to melt sugar clumps.
-Bring to a boil. Allow to thicken.
-Remove from heat and add butter, salt and vanilla.

Special thank you to Miss Newlywed Giggles who passed this recipe on to me after discovering it on Just Another Day in {our Midwest} Paradise who credits Magically Ordinary Life for sharing this recipe. *Whew....did I cover all the bases? :-) *