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Butterscotch Brownies

Source of Recipe

From "The Yellow Farmhouse Cookbook" by Christopher Kimball


Recipe Introduction

"When these brownies are done, the tops are cracked and lightly browned. The optional butterscotch chips may seem superfluous but add that extra touch that makes these brownies memorably decadent."

List of Ingredients

• 8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp molasses
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ cup pecans, broken or coarsely chopped
• ½ cup butterscotch chips (optional)


Recipe

Heat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. (This is one recipe for which the size of the baking pan is important. Do not use a larger or smaller pan.)

Beat the butter and sugars in the in the bowl of an electric mixer or with a wooden spoon until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and molasses. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat mixture on high speed (or vigorously by hand) until it is very smooth.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir on low speed or by hand until incorporated. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down sides of bowl and finish mixing batter.

Stir in nuts and optional chips. Transfer batter to buttered pan. Spread top with a spatula to make it smooth and even.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, turning pan halfway through. Start checking after 23 minutes. When done, the center of the mixture should be firm but still moist, the top will be cracked, and the sides will start to pull away from the pan. Let cool in pan and then cut into squares.

Makes 16 squares