The addition of miso and soy sauce sounds odd but the salty umami punch of flavor with the deep earthy chocolate creates brownie with added depth and dimension that chocolate lover will adore. Don’t worry that the brownies taste too much like either ingredient. The miso gives a salty nutty flavor to the caramel and the soy sauce is very subtle, a background player bringing out the sweetness in the bittersweet chocolate. The additions of these secret ingredients make the brownie a step above others, and your friends and family will be asking you for the recipe!
2tablespoonred misoor 3 tablespoons white or yellow miso
Brownie batter
4large eggsrefrigerator cold
4teaspoonssoy sauce
1tablespoonvanilla extract
1cupDutch-process cocoa110 g
1cupunsalted butter2 sticks or 225 g
2cupswhite sugar400 g
1 1/4cupsall-purpose flour175
1/2teaspoonbaking powder
2cupschocolate chips or chopped chocolate340 g
Instructions
Make the miso caramel by placing the sugar in a large skillet or sauté pan. Cook on high heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the sugar starts to melt. Reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook until the sugar has all turned golden caramel brown.
Once the sugar has turned to caramel, remove from heat. Whisk in the butter and caramel. The caramel will steam, bubble and sputter as you add it, so use caution. If the caramel seizes up and hardens, just place it back on the stove and gently heat it until the harden parts dissolve. Then set the caramel aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray or brush a 9 x 13 x 2-inch pan with cooking oil. Line it with parchment paper.
Make the brownie batter by placing the eggs, soy sauce, vanilla, and eggs, in a bowl and mixing thoroughly with a whisk until uniform in color.
Add the cocoa powder to the egg mixture and mix together to form a paste.
Melt butter in a glass bowl in the microwave until liquid, then stir in sugar. You can also heat and melt the butter on the stove if you don’t have a microwave or don’t wish to use it.
Stir in the butter sugar mixture to the cocoa egg mixture. Add the flour and baking powder, folding it in until there are just a few streaks of dry ingredients left.
Add the chocolate chips and continue to mix and fold them in, until evenly distributed and all the flour is absorbed.
Spread about 1/2 of the brownie batter into the prepared pan.
Add the miso caramel over the brownie batter, spread it so it reaches the edges.
Then spoon the remaining brownie batter over the caramel and spread it carefully over the caramel. Let it sit for 1 or 2 minutes, or until the top of the brownie batter has a glossy sheen to it. Then place in the oven and bake for 23 to 27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle in few places comes out clean (you want to check a few places in case your toothpick hits a chocolate chip). Try not to overbake the pan.Let rest in the pan until cool completely – preferably overnight if you can wait that long. Then carefully cut and serve. The brownies improve in flavor and texture if you let them sit overnight, but they’re still great the day of.
Notes
These brownies are rich, so I cut them into smaller 1 x 2-inch pieces, making 36 individual smaller brownies. But feel free to cut them larger if you wish.