Dulce de Leche Brownies

These brownies were so good, they actually made me buy a book. Actually, two of them. After making these brownies I wanted a copy of every recipe David Leibovitz ever published. This was also the first time I ever made Dulce de Leche, who knew it was so simple? You can find the recipe here. These brownies were so good that I have not made them again, because I think they could become a problem. You know, the kind of problem where you would eat the entire pan if left home alone with them for more than an hour? I recommend taking them to a potluck in the pan, that way it would be embarassing if you ate half the pan before you got to the event. Maybe you just shouldn't make them at all, you could go through life never knowing what they taste like and then it would save you the trouble of trying to resist making another pan. Forget I said anything...

Dulce de Leche Brownies
adapted from David Leibovitz

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used Ghirardelli bittersweet chips)
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 cup Dulce de Leche

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line a 8-inch square pan with a long sheet of aluminum foil that covers the bottom and reaches up the sides. If it doesn't reach all the way up and over all four sides, cross another sheet of foil over it, making a large cross with edges that overhang the sides. Grease the bottom and sides of the foil with a bit of butter or non-stick spray.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the chocolate pieces and stir constantly over very low heat until the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Add in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the sugar, vanilla, then the flour.

Scrape half of the batter into the prepared pan. Drop one-third of the Dulce de Leche, evenly spaced, over the brownie batter, then drag a knife through to swirl it slightly. Spread the remaining brownie batter over, then drop spoonfuls of the remaining Dulce de Leche in dollops over the top of the brownie batter. Use a knife to swirl the Dulce de Leche slightly.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. The brownies are done when the center feels just-slightly firm. Remove from the oven and cool completely.