Salted Bourbon Caramel Almond Joy Brownies

In spite of my removing it from the shopping list, twice, Lynn brings home boxed brownie mix. We have a discussion that involves my being very elitist about box mixes. She reminds me that we all have fond memories of boxed brownies from our childhood. She’s right sooo… let’s make Almond Joy Brownies.

Gotta Make This Box Mix My Own

OK, I’ll make them but you know I gotta “make em my own”.

In the cabinet I see coconut flakes, and because we are thinking about childhood favorites, the Almond Joy candy bar pops into my head. Chocolate, coconut and almonds… oh my.

So the journey begins for the Almond Joy Brownie. There are a lot of recipes out there for these lovelies. And I thank all who came before me for the inspiration.

Continuing to look in the cabinets for ingredients what do I see, salted… bourbon… caramel. Yes, those are 3 words that you can always put together. Fat Toad Farm makes an amazing variety of caramels and this is one of my favorites.

I really think that the caramel is what makes these brownies stand out. The salt gives a boost to, and some relief from, the intense sweetness of the coconut topping.

And yes I know, there is no caramel in an Almond Joy, but really it was just staring me in the face, not to be ignored.

Why Sweet Needs Salt

A friend asked me the other day why salt is such a big thing with sweets these days. We talked about how salt is a taste of its own but is a chemical that actually enhances the other tastes (sweet, sour, bitter, and umami). From Science Focus, The Home of BBC Science Magazine we learn:

Taste is a complicated business. It used to be thought that there were separate receptor cells on different parts of your tongue for each of the five basic tastes: salt, sweet, sour, bitter and umami (the taste of glutamic acid). But more recent research has shown that individual cells actually respond to several tastes each, at different levels of sensitivity. The upshot of this is that all the tastes interact with each other – sometimes enhancing, sometimes suppressing – depending on the concentrations. So for example, at low concentrations, sour tastes will enhance bitter ones, but at moderate concentrations, they will suppress them. Which is why we put lime in a margarita.

Salt is used as a universal flavour improver because at low concentrations it will reduce bitterness, but increase sweet, sour and umami, which is desirable for sweet recipes. But at higher concentrations, it suppresses sweetness and enhances umami, which is good for savoury things. It’s also easily obtained in a pure form without any interfering flavours.

And if you’d like a quick history behind salted caramel PreGel does a great job.

This recipe comes from back in the day, long before sizzle&STEM was even an idea. So to my Facebook buds… yes, you have seen this before.

Also, yes, I no longer make apologies for using a box brownie mix.

Salted Bourbon Caramel Almond Joy Brownies

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by Mark Michalski Course: DessertDifficulty: Moderate

Servings

9

servings

Things that evoke childhood memories, brownies from a box and an Almond Joy candy bar… with salted caramel thrown in for good measure. Yum.

Ingredients

• For Prep:

• 9 x 9 Baking Pan

• Parchment Paper

• Cooking Spray

• For The Brownies (ignore the ingredients on the box)

• 1 Box of Brownie Mix  (I think any kind will do but I used Betty Crocker)

• 2 Eggs

• 1 Stick Unsalted Butter (1/2 Cup/8 TBSP Melted)

• 3 TBSP 3 Water

• 1/4 Cup 1/4 Buttermilk Powder (Adds a little “tangy” flavor, optional)

• For Coconut Topping

• 1.5 Cups 1.5 Flake Coconut (optional but recommended, toasted in a 350 deg C oven until just browned)

• 1/2 Can 1/2 Sweetened Condensed Milk (approximately, see below)

• 1/4 Cup 1/4 Confectioners Sugar (approximately, see below))

• For Finishing

• Sliver Almonds (about a half cup)

• Caramel Sauce (I used Fat Toad Farm Salted Bourbon but any kind can work)

Process

• Prep Oven and Pan
• Preheat oven to 350 Deg F
  (176 Deg C)
  Formula:
  (350°F − 32) × 5/9 = 176.667°C
• Line pan with parchment paper. I sprayed cooking spray on the pan to hold the parchment in and then on the parchment itself as it prevents sticking when trying to remove later.
• Make Brownie Mix
• Add contents of boxed brownie mix, eggs, butter and optional buttermilk powder to a bowl
• Mix until well incorporated but do not over mix. A lump or two is OK.
• Pour mixture into pan lined with parchment paper. Bake in oven until a toothpick inserted into center comes out dry. About 35 minutes (but start checking after 25 minutes)
• When done (and still warm) I pushed the top down a little to even out the “crown”. This will make it easier to spread out the topping later. Don’t go crazy, just a gentle push. DO NOT REMOVE FROM PAN. Wait until after adding the coconut topping. It will be much prettier as the pan creates a good edge.
• Prepare Coconut Topping
• While brownies are cooling, add coconut, condensed milk and confectioners sugar to a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly. (honestly, add the sugar and condensed milk a little at a time and taste along the way until it gets to a consistency and sweetness that you like)
• Spread coconut topping over now cooled brownies while still in the pan. Use wet hands to spread it out, a spatula will just tear the brownies. Make sure that it is even thickness and out to the edges.
• Sprinkle almonds over coconut topping. (How much? I don’t know, how much do you like almonds?)
• At this point remove brownies from the pan by grasping the parchment paper and CAREFULLY pulling the brownies out of the pan. (I then put it all on a large sheet pan and carefully slide the parchment out from underneath.)
• Swirl caramel sauce over the top of coconut and almonds. (I fill a plastic bag with some caramel, cut off a tiny corner and squeezed it out like a pastry bag)
• To cut up a serrated knife works best. Enjoy!