Cornflake Caramel Brownies aka Golden Brownies

I found this recipe for the most amazing brownies and then had to tweak it with high altitude adjustments.

Cornflake Caramel Brownies are made in three big steps: first toast the cornflakes, then bake the brownies, and finally cook the caramel sauce to coat the cornflakes; throw and press the cornflakes on top of the brownies and voila! Adapted from the lovely Cupcake Jemma

Recipe: This recipe is for an 8″ tin.

Toasted cornflakes:

1/2 c (125g) Cornflakes
3 T + 1 tsp. (40g) Malt Powder
3 T+ 1 scant tsp. (40g) Caster Sugar
3 T (40g) Butter
1/2 tsp. Salt

Brownie layer:

1/2 c (110g) Unsalted butter
1/2 c (110g) Dark chocolate
1 c (210g) Caster sugar
2 Large eggs
1/2 heaping c (80g+) AP flour
1/4 c (30g) Cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 scant tsp. Baking powder

Caramel sauce:

1 c + 2 T (224g) Caster sugar
1/2 c + 1 T (150g) Heavy whipping cream
1/4 c + 1 T (75g) Butter
1 tsp. Vanilla extract

Prep an 8 inch pan if you want a nice thicker brownie base. Line pan crosswise with buttered or sprayed parchment paper for easy removal

Oven temp for cornflakes: 285F
Oven temp for brownie: 350F

Toasting cornflakes-

Toss all dry ingredients for cornflakes together in small bowl. Melt butter and pour all over cornflakes an toss to coat evenly. Then sprinkle in the dry mixture and stir to coat cornflakes. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or silicone mat and carefully spread cornflake mixture out evenly in one layer. Bake mixture for 10 minutes and stir at 5 minute point to prevent from getting overly crisp on one side. Set aside in a medium bowl as the caramel will be added later to this bowl too. **Save this used parchment paper for the end of the final step to incorporate all.

Mixing up the brownies-

Melt the chocolate and butter slowly in the microwave for 30 second increments, taking out to stir before putting in for another 30 seconds. It should take around 1 minute total, careful not to burn the chocolate; set aside. Whip together the eggs and sugar until white and fluffy (about 5 minutes or so). Mix together the dry ingredients in small bowl, set aside. Then fold in the chocolate butter mixture into the egg/sugar bowl. Then lightly stir in the dry ingredients–careful not to completely deflate all the fluffy goodness–just until all flour is mixed. Cook 20-25 minutes and check to see if toothpick or cake tester comes out just slightly chocolaty but not batter-y. If you want fudgy, then bake a little closer to the 20 minute mark but if you prefer a cakier brownie then bake (until toothpick comes out clean) closer to 25 minutes.

Cooking the Caramel sauce:

Put a medium sized pot on the stove on medium low with the sugar in the pan. Move the sugar around until it starts to melt to a clear, then let it slowly melt and make sure to get any crystals–that may form–also melted. After all sugar is melted to translucent, take off burner and slowly but quickly (like tempering) drizzle to pour in the cream a little at a time stirring quickly as to slowly bring the temperature of the sugar down without the shock. This was the hardest part as can start to harden on you if you’re not doing it just right. **BUT don’t worry, if mixture starts to harden then add back to burner on low temp until all stirred back to smooth. Then add butter and stir. Add back to burner on medium and cook until candy thermometer indicates “thread stage” around 210F (100C)–for you high altitude folks, as it reaches this at a lower temperature for us. As soon as this point is reached, take off the burner and add in vanilla stirring quickly. Then pour the mixture over the freshly toasted cornflakes in the bowl in step 1 and carefully stir all together evenly coating the cornflakes. Pour and spread the warm golden caramel cornflakes over the baked brownies. Lightly press with the back of a metal spoon or the saved/used parchment paper to meld the cornflakes layer to the brownies. Slightly cool, then (after trying a little sample reward sliver) stick in fridge to keep it nice and fudgy before cutting and serving.