Sea Turtle Brownies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 inch square metal pan with foil and spray foil with cooking spray. Alternatively, use nonstick foil or grease the pan and line with parchment.Melt butter in a medium saucepan set over medium or medium low heat. When butter is almost completely melted, add chocolate, reduce heat to low and stir until chocolate is melted. Cool mixture slightly, and with a wooden spoon, beat in brown sugar, followed by eggs and vanilla. Scrape sides of bowl and with the wooden spoon, beat in the baking powder and salt, making sure they’re evenly distributed.

Add the flour and stir gently until it is mixed in.

Spread batter evenly in pan and bake in middle of oven for about 30 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.Make caramel-pecan layer: In a heavy medium size saucepan bring sugar, corn syrup, water, and a pinch salt to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil mixture, without stirring, until it turns a golden caramel – mine was golden in 8 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and carefully add cream and vanilla (mixture will bubble up and steam). Stir in pecans and quickly pour mixture over brownie layer, spreading evenly. Cool brownies completely in pan on a rack.Chill brownies, loosely covered, until caramel is firm, at least 4 hours. Lift from pan by grasping parchment (or foil).

Cut brownies into 16 squares, then cut each square into 4 squares. Set squares in regular or miniature size cupcake papers and sprinkle sea salt on top before serving. Makes 64Optional – Melt 1 or 2 ounces of semisweet chocolate in the microwave, transfer it to a heavy duty freezer bag or decorating bag, snip end and pipe over the brownies. You can do this before cutting, though the chocolate will snap a bit, or you can pipe the chocolate on after the brownies are cut – that is, right before you set them in the miniature cupcake cups.