MM: Overloaded Caramel Pecan Brownies

I am proud to be guest-hosting Magazine Mondays this week while Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice is on holidays. MM is a casual, laid back group and an effective way to get you cooking through your pile of magazines. To have your post included, just email it to me (starrysugar{@}hotmail{dot}com) for today's entry and to the following co-hosts for the dates specified. Your post doesn't have to be on a Monday although the round-ups are done on Mondays.



Tina on August 30th (e-mail entries to hexandkobe{@}yahoo{dot}com)
Janie on September 6th (e-mail entries to jtray4{@}mac{dot}com)



For my own MM submission, I did a shortcut (ie. Cake Mix) recipe from Taste of Home's Holiday Annual 2006. Beneath a layer of ooey-gooey caramel lies fragrant toasted pecans atop a fudgy brownie base. Prior to today, I narrow-mindedly thought that a warm, gooey brownie was the only way to reach brownie bliss. Well, that school of thought went out the window after I tried a COLD turtle brownie.

Here's what happened: I put the baked brownies into the fridge to speed up the cooling so I could cut them into squares faster and could therefore eat them faster. Then I got busy and forgot all about them. By the time I remembered, they had been chilled all the way through. I was disappointed for a split second, and then I tasted one. They were DELICIOUS! The caramel sandwiched in the middle was still smooth and soft but now had a little more 'chew', held the pecans in place perfectly and and provided more textural contrast to the moist brownie layers. Chilling also helps these bars hold together better. They can be messy if you try to eat them warm or even at room temp. (Recipe at the bottom of this entry).

Check out the other delicious treats below, fresh from the oven of my fellow MM-ers.

Catherine of "Buttery Bakery" made:
Zucchini-Pecan Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting from Bon Appetit, August 2010.

Janet of "Tastespace" made:
Wild Rice Pudding with Rhubarb Compote from Canadian Living.

Janie of "Panini Girl" made:
Bombay Sliders with Garlic Curry Sauce from Bon Appetit, March 2007.

Ranjani of "Four Seasons of Food" made:
Barley Risotto with Eggplant, Summer Squash, and Tomatoes from Cooking Light, September 2009.

Melissa of "It’s the Way She" made:
Pink Grapefruit Sorbet from Cooking Light, April 2010.

Brenda of Brenda's Canadian Kitchen made Salisbury Steak from Cook's Illustrated Magazine "American Classics" special interest publication.

Patricia of ButterYum made a Quick Lemon Mousse from Everyday Food, May 2010.

Janice of Kitchen Heal Soul made Tomato Tarte Tatin from Bon Appétit, August 2010

Joanna of Go Ahead and Snicker made Mark Bittman's Almost Meatless Sloppy Joe from Cooking Light, May 2010

Allyson of Retorte made Sour Cream Chocolate Crumb Cake from the current issue of Canadian Living.

Thanks everyone!!!

Overloaded Caramel Pecan Brownies
9x13 pan | Taste of Home's Holiday 2006

1 package (18.25 ounces) chocolate cake mix
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk, divided
75 caramels
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Combine the cake mix, butter and 1/3 cup milk. Spread half of the mixture into a greased 13x9" pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a microwave, heat caramels and remaining milk, uncovered, on high for 2-3 minutes or until caramels are melted; stir until smooth. Pour over crust. Sprinkle with pecans and chocolate chips. Drop reserved cake mixture by tablespoonfuls over the top.
Bake for 10 minutes; remove from the oven and smooth top. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until top appears dry and is lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack (or in the fridge to speed up the process). Cut into bars.