Gluten-Free Snickers Brownies

I've got this thing for caramel and chocolate.  You may have noticed if you're read my recipes for gluten-free millionaire's shortbread or gluten-free mocha cupcakes with dark chocolate caramel ganache.  It's not really groundbreaking.  Caramel and chocolate go together like... well... caramel and chocolate; do I even need a simile!?  I was taking another trip down gluten-filled memory lane the other day, and I remembered these INTENSE brownies they used to sell at a little gourmet market where I worked as a teenager.  Their so-called "mudslide" brownies were gooey, fudgy, and had a layer of caramel running through the middle.  No wonder I'm still thinking about them 15 years later.

Of course I can never just recreate something from my glutenful days without kicking it up a notch. In a flash of genius (madness?), I decided to add peanuts to the caramel layer which, in my mind, makes them basically like a Snickers bar.  Hence the name.  Some might say I go a little overboard with my creations.  I say: why keep it simple when you can have EVERYTHING?  So, if you're looking for dense, chocolatey, caramel/peanut decadence... look no further.  These brownies will fill your every need. And your belly.

My apologies for the lack of process photos in this post.  It was late and dark when I finally had time to bake this weekend.  I've tried, as always, to be very specific in my instructions.  Feel free to leave a comment if anything seems unclear.  

And the recipe is...

Ingredients:

• 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened, condensed milk
• 10 tablespoons total unsalted butter (4 for the caramel and 6 for the brownie batter)
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• 1 cup unsalted peanuts
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-processed)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup chocolate chips or semi-sweet baker's chocolate
• 2/3 cup all-purpose gluten-free baking flour blend with xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line an 8x8 inch baking ban with parchment paper, making sure the paper overhangs the edges on two sides.  If you grease the baking pan first, it will stick to the bottom and be easier to fill.
2. Make the caramel: Gently melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan.  Then, stir in the sweetened condensed milk and corn syrup.  Bring just to a boil and immediately lower the heat.  Simmer over medium-low heat for 10 to 20 minutes, stirring very frequently, until the mixture has thickened significantly and turned a golden color.  Don't walk away from it or it will crystalize and burn!
3. Remove the caramel from the heat and stir in the peanuts.  
4. Pour the caramel mixture into the lined baking pan and put the pan into the freezer.  Freeze for at least 30 minutes while you make the brownie batter.
5. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan and stir in the sugar.  Stir and cook the sugar in the butter for about a minute, until it lightens in color.  
6. Transfer the butter/sugar mixture to a mixing bowl.  Pour in the cocoa powder and stir until combined.  
7. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
8. Melt the chocolate, either in a glass bowl over boiling water or in the microwave, in 30-second increments, stirring after each increment until smooth.  
9. Add the melted chocolate to the batter and mix until incorporated.
10. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and baking powder.  
11. Slowly add the flour mixture to the batter and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and beating again, if necessary.
12. Remove the baking pan from the freezer and lift out the caramel.  It should be a solid layer.  Re-line the pan with new parchment.
13. Pour half of the brownie batter into the lined pan and smooth with a spatula.  Peel the parchment paper off of the caramel/peanut block, and place on top of the brownie batter in the pan.  Then, pour the rest of the batter on top and smooth again.
14. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top feels springy and set.  (You won't be able to use a toothpick test it because the caramel will stay liquid until it cools, but I honestly don't mind them a bit gooey!).  Allow to cool completely in the pan before lifting out the parchment and cutting.  Makes 16 brownies.