These butterscotch brownies have many things going for them, but good looks isn’t one of them.
They are, however, ridiculously easy to make, only use one saucepan, and have a delicious caramel flavour that makes them difficult to leave alone. I baked two trays today – each took me less than 10 minutes to knock up, and under half an hour to bake in the oven. That’s hard to beat!
The batch above has a mix of walnuts and chocolate chips, whereas the one below has extra chocolate in place of the nuts (as Small Man is nut allergic) and as a result is gooey and flatter, but equally moreish.
I’ve substituted unsalted butter for the vegetable shortening in Beth Polazzo’s original recipe, and I’ve also omitted the specified ½ teaspoon of salt. That’s our personal preference – we’re not big fans of the salt-sugar combination that seems to be so popular in the US.
Butterscotch Brownies
(adapted from Beth Polazzo’s Butterscotch Brownies in Molly O’Neill’s New York Cookbook)
- 75g (½ cup) plain (AP) flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 65g (¼ cup) unsalted butter
- 215g (1 cup, packed) brown sugar
- 1 large (59g) egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (I used homemade)
- 55g (½ cup) chopped walnuts OR extra 90g (½ cup) chocolate chips
- 90g (½ cup) semisweet chocolate chips
Note: for the all chocolate version, I used 90g broken Callebaut bake-stable sticks (44% cacao) and 90g Callebaut 811 callets (54% cacao).
1. Preheat the oven to 175C/350F or 160C/320F with fan.
2. Line a 20cm/8″ square pan or a 31 x 14cm/12 x 5½” biscotti pan with parchment paper.
3. In a small bowl, combine the flour and baking powder and stir together with a fork.
4. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a low heat, then add the brown sugar and stir briefly until softened and moist. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes (this bit is important – or you’ll end up with scrambled eggs and melted chocolate).
5. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, quickly stir in the egg and vanilla until incorporated. Add in the flour and baking powder, and stir vigorously to combine. Gently mix in the walnuts and chocolate.
6. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and gently work it into the corners. There’s not a lot of batter, so expect a fairly thin coverage over the base of the pan. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until the top feels just firm. The original recipe said to test with an inserted toothpick, but there’s usually so much chocolate in mine that it’s hard to judge.
Remove from the oven and allow the brownies to rest in the pan for at least half an hour before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling. The brownies will sink a little as they cool.
Expect these to be flat and ugly, and to crack as they’re sliced (use a sharp, thin knife). Also expect them to be deliciously moreish with a brown sugar caramel flavour and a fudgy, gooey centre. Enjoy!
Click here for a printable version of this recipe
I think I’m feeling a little faint…
I adore butterscotch flavor….
could you please ask me by email in a couple of weeks if I made them already? And if I don’t, could you get really mad at me?
thanks! ;-)
It looks so beautiful. Sound yummy as well. My family will be really creazy about this. Thanks for sharing.
Are these better than those dulce de lece David Liebovitz ones? They look very gooey in the middle :)
Sally and Tes, they’re very delicious, but honestly, they’re not pretty. That’s why I included the photos – they come out like a little flat slice in the middle, because they sink down as they cool. But everyone loves them – I took some to my neighbour June, who has been baking for more than half a century, and she told me she couldn’t stop eating them!
Joanna, I think so. They’re very different, the DDL brownies seem to be a cakey brownie, these are like a thin layer of butterscotch and chocolate fudge sandwiched between a flaky crust. Darn. I now have to go bake more today.
The other thing that’s nice about these brownies (and I’m not even sure brownies is the right word, but that’s the original name of the recipe) is that they don’t use much butter, eggs or flour. I once baked over 1,000 of these for a charity Christmas do – they had donated chocolate, so the rest of the ingredients didn’t actually cost me too much!
Who is eating all these yummies?
I freeze half of what I bake and even then my husband and son still have a lot of goodies on their plates!
Although I just looked back and saw it is in a small pan (8×8) so it would probably go pretty fast. Even here>
I”M GOING TO TRY THIS ONE OVER THE WEEKEND_ thanks for adding the cup measurements.:)
I think I would call these blondies rather than brownies. Either way, they look amazing. I love the fudgy consistency. Will have to bake them as soon as I restock on my brown sugar reserves!
Liza, I’d call them blondies too, but didn’t feel right changing the name!
Aaah, Heidi. I have two teenage sons. I also bake for all the teenagers on the street (this is a big exam year for many of them, and some of them text me late at night and ask for baked goods :)). As well as six neighbouring families, the shopowners down the road, Big Boy’s mates at school, the school orchestra and our suppliers at the markets. There’s no shortage of eaters! :)
i wish i could eat like teenage boys! i feel i’ve gained a bit just by looking at this insanity. i’m to stay away from butterscotch anything at all times. (you must be the coolest mom ever!)
Sigh. I wish I could eat like teenage boys as well. Sometimes this recipe produces a crispy butterscotch lace on the sides as it bakes – a bit like brandy or toffee snaps. They never make a photo, as I break them off before slicing. And thank you – I wish I was cool. I suspect my kids would disagree. ;-)
I respectfully beg to differ Celia! ;) I think they look great-the crunchy crust and the gooey inside. They look nothing short of gooeylicious brownie heaven!
Ah, you’re kind, Lorraine. Thank you! :)
These look delectable. I can taste that gooey goodness just from the photo. I am glad I ran across your page full of excellent ideas and recipes.
just found your blog….an amazing sight!….a credit to you….i’ve spent the last hour surfing around…and my mind is bloggering with yummy images….i could stay here all day!
They look superb, I love the fact that they are thin….something about giving the impression of not eating a whole lot (imagine if they were twice as high). I love the sweet-salt movement…..but it has to be right and it is tricky but when it works, it is a delight!
Daniel, thank you for dropping by! The photos on your blog are amazing – I’m heading back for a better look now.. :)
Yvette, an Aussie in Italy! How exciting! Look forward to reading about your adventures..
Ozoz, I’m sure you’re right about the sweet-salt thing, but for me it only works in certain circumstances. Asian sauces, some coconut based desserts, but I’m not a fan of things like salted caramel or salted sticky buns.
Celia – I just came looking on your site for your Dulce de Leche Brownies (as I have an aging jar of the stuff I’ve just found at the back of the cupboard) and now I discover these too and they look so delicious – now I’m in a complete quandry!
They may look flat and ugly to you, but I can see that they are rich and gooey and I’m sure they are delicious!
Baking a batch in the oven – right now! Tomorrow is my daughter’s end of year party so these are going in, going down……LOL
I added a bit of salt too. For my first ever brownies they look amazing, cracked and all and they smell gorgeous. Can’t wait to hear what daughter thinks tomorrow morning (she’s asleep!). Thanks for making it seem so easy!
Choclette, I actually like these better! But the DDL ones are very nice too.
Suelle, thank you. They go a bit crispy the following day, and I have to keep giving them away, or I can’t stop eating them!
Oz, enjoy! And thanks for letting me know..hope your daughter has a great party! :)
Waw!! These brownies look really beautiful & so apart too!!
Oooooh,..;Aaaaaah,…Ooooooh,…mmmmmmmm!!!!
I made the DDL ones at the weekend and overcooked them so was rather disappointed. I will be trying these next!
Sophie, thank you! :)
Choclette, I’m sorry to hear that! These butterscotch ones don’t taste too bad even if they are slightly overcooked – they become like a crunchy caramel biscuit. :)
Brownies in 10 minutes? Fabulous! Can wait to try the butterscotch flavour.
That’s my recipe. How cool is this? Accidentally found you on the Internet. I’m the Beth from Molly O’Neill’s cookbook.
So happy that you all are enjoying my ugly brownies. Have you discovered that they are even better when you eat them half-frozen?
Enjoy.
Beth
Yeeah!! Beth, thanks so much for your recipe, it is such a winner. We’ve scaled it up 8x and baked it in giant trays for a charity do. We’ve replaced the nuts with everything from Lindt balls to caramels. Every time it comes out a little different, but always incredibly moreish! :)
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Thank you for sharing this recipe! It’s delicious! I posted about it on my blog:
http://blueberryfairysbaking.blogspot.com/2011/05/butterscotch-brownies.html
My best to you, from Poland:)