I’m officially feeling old today.
It’s my brother’s 18th birthday — eighteen. When did that happen? I can still picture him as a small, curious toddler, taking things apart with a screwdriver and running around with wild, carefree energy. Now he’s an adult.
This week felt especially strange: I took my car for its MOT, and afterward my brother offered to drive us. Sitting in the passenger seat and seeing him take the wheel was surreal. The roles feel reversed in a way I didn’t expect.
All of this makes me want to hide from the reality of getting older, so I’m doing the sensible thing — eating brownies.
Dulce de Leche Swirl Brownies
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 90 g good quality dark chocolate
- 150 g unsalted butter
- 300 g light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 125 g plain flour
- 25 g cocoa powder, I use Green & Blacks
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 400 g dulce de leche
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and line an 8 x 8 inch (20 x 20 cm) baking pan.
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Break the dark chocolate into pieces and place in a heatproof bowl with the butter. Melt gently, either in the microwave in 20-second bursts (stirring well between each) or over a bowl set above simmering water. Stir thoroughly so no hidden lumps remain, then set aside to cool slightly.
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In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) combine the light brown sugar, eggs and vanilla. Beat on medium-high for about a minute until smooth and glossy.
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Sift together the plain flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and a pinch of salt into a separate bowl.
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Fold the melted chocolate and butter into the sugar and egg mixture until well combined and smooth.
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Add the dry ingredients and fold gently on a low speed (or by hand) until just combined.
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Spoon in the dulce de leche and swirl it through the batter with a spatula or knife. Don’t fully incorporate it — leave plenty of beautiful swirls for texture and flavor.
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface gently, taking care not to eliminate the swirls.
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Bake for 25–30 minutes. A skewer inserted in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs attached — you want fudgy brownies, not dry ones.
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Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan before slicing.
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Once cool, cut into 9–12 bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days.
Notes
Recipe by Annie
Enjoy 🙂
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