Jane Dunn’s salted pretzel brownies

“Can I just say that I am utterly and completely addicted to baking these brownies. I can’t count the amount of times I have made them any more because I genuinely love them that much,” buzzes food writer Jane Dunn.

“They look satisfying, too, with every piece being covered in pretzels, top and bottom, and even with a caramel swirl on top … they are unreal. I sprinkle on extra bits of sea salt because I really do adore the salty crunch, and the thick, chocolatey nature of the base brownie is wonderful.”

Salted pretzel brownies

Ingredients
(serves 8)

200g dark chocolate
200g unsalted butter or baking spread
4 eggs
275g soft light brown sugar
100g plain flour
50g cocoa powder
100g salted pretzels (roughly 72 smaller pretzels)
150g caramel sauce
Sea salt, for sprinkling

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC fan and line a 23cm (9in) square cake tin with parchment paper.

2. Melt the dark chocolate and butter together in a bowl in the microwave in short bursts, or in a pan over a low heat, then leave to cool for 10 minutes.

3. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together for a few minutes until doubled in volume and mousse-like. Fold through the melted chocolate mix, followed by the flour and cocoa powder.

4. Layer pretzels on the bottom of the cake tin and carefully pour over the brownie mix. Swirl through the caramel sauce and sprinkle over some salt. Add a second layer of pretzels on top. Bake for 25–30 minutes until there is a slight wobble in the middle, then leave to cool fully in the tin.

5. Set the brownies in the fridge for a couple of hours for a super-fudgy texture.

Notes:

• I use the small crunchy pretzels that you can find in the snack/crisp aisle at the supermarket – the amount you need may vary depending on the size of the pretzel.
• You can add chocolate chips to the brownies if you want even more chocolate.
• You can air-fry half of this recipe in an 18cm square tin for 14–16 minutes at 160ºC.

Jane’s Patisserie: Classic by Jane Dunn is published in hardback by Ebury Press, priced £25. Photography by Ellis Parrinder.