'Tis the season to learn how to bake! I absolutely love the holidays and one significant part of this time of year for my family is baking. My sister hosted her annual cookie decorating party last weekend which involves baking sugar and gingerbread cookies ahead of time. Our family and friends then come over to frost and decorate them. It was a big hit!
We recently hosted a private party at The Chopping Block that was themed around using your cast iron pans. The guests learned how to make seared beef tenderloin with a bourbon cream sauce, grilled Brussels sprouts with balsamic cranberries, herb roasted new potatoes and the dessert I am about to share with you. This menu was stacked with amazing recipes, but the one everyone couldn’t stop talking about was the cast iron skillet brownie with bourbon caramel drizzle.
Combine bourbon with caramel sauce = amazing! And then bake your brownies in a cast iron skillet? Now combine the two and have yourself a very happy holiday!
Cast Iron Skillet Brownies
Scroll down for a printable version of this recipe
Yield: 10-12 servings
Active time: 20 minutes
Start time: 45 minutes
1 stick unsalted butter
3 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 Heath or Skor bars, crushed into small pieces
1. Preheat the oven to 350° and butter a cast iron pan.
2. Place the butter, chocolate chips and both sugars in a saucepan. Place over low heat, and stir until the mixture is melted. Remove from the heat and whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract.
3. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder in a small bowl. Fold the dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture until just combined, and then fold in the toffee pieces.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake until a tester comes out clean when inserted into the center, about 25 minutes.
5. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, cut into desired shapes and serve with a drizzle of Bourbon Caramel Sauce.
Bourbon Caramel Sauce
Yield: 1 cup
Active time: 25 minutes
Start to finish: 25 minutes
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons Knob Creek Bourbon
3/4 cup heavy cream
Pinch of salt
1. Swirl together the water and sugar in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, without stirring, until the sugar caramelizes into a deep amber.
2. Remove from the heat and add the butter. Be careful because the butter will create a lot of steam.
3. Whisk in the bourbon and heavy cream. The caramel will seize up but continue to whisk the caramel over low heat until smooth again.
4. Stir in the salt and serve.
If you've got the baking bug this holiday season, we just a few spots left in our baking classes:
Holiday Cookie Boot Camp Sunday, December 12 10am Lincoln Square
- Holiday Palmiers
- Peppermint Snowballs
- Chocolate, Cherry & Pistachio Thumbprints
- Red Velvet Crinkles
- Peanut Butter Fudge
Hands-On Festive Family Baking Saturday, December 18 10am Lincoln Square
- Ornament Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting and Assorted Candies
- Jam-Filled Thumbprint Cookies
- Red and Green Peppermint Patties
- Cinnamon-Sugar Palmiers
- Gingerbread Cookies with Vanilla Glaze and Sprinkles
Virtual Cook Along: Winter Cupcake Workshop Saturday, January 22 2pm CST
- Hot Cocoa Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting
- Lime Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche Buttercream and Toasted Coconut
Finally, don't miss our special pop-up with Zimt Bakery featuring specialty German cookies on Saturday, December 18 at Lincoln Square. Chef Alina Tompert will be baking and decorating her edible works of art in our kitchen from 10am-2pm. Stop by for a sample and to purchase her cookies made with local, organic, and fair trade ingredients. They are packed in plastic-free, fully compostable or recyclable packaging. They have a rotating assortment of goodies throughout the year with seasonal flavors.
Cast Iron Skillet Brownie with Bourbon Caramel Drizzle
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 3 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 Heath or Skor bars, crushed into small pieces
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons Knob Creek Bourbon
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° and butter a cast iron pan.
- Place the butter, chocolate chips and both sugars in a saucepan. Place over low heat, and stir until the mixture is melted. Remove from the heat and whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract.
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder in a small bowl. Fold the dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture until just combined, and then fold in the toffee pieces.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake until a tester comes out clean when inserted into the center, about 25 minutes.
- Allow to cool for 15 minutes, cut into desired shapes and serve with a drizzle of Bourbon Caramel Sauce.
- Swirl together the water and sugar in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, without stirring, until the sugar caramelizes into a deep amber.
- Remove from the heat and add the butter. Be careful because the butter will create a lot of steam.
- Whisk in the bourbon and heavy cream. The caramel will seize up but continue to whisk the caramel over low heat until smooth again.
- Stir in the salt and serve.
