Caramel brownies in the Thermomix® only work if you make the peanut butter caramel crumble BEFORE the batter. The mixing bowl must be completely clean between the two steps, otherwise the melted batter sticks to caramel residue and turns lumpy instead of fudgy.
We developed this recipe for the big Mix cookbook and have baked it hundreds of times since. The order is non-negotiable: crumble, clean the mixing bowl, then chocolate batter. The other way round, the batter never comes out properly smooth.
Caramel Brownies with Peanut Butter, Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 8 ✓
- 150 g soft caramel sweets
- 100 g peanut butter
- 400 g dark chocolate couverture
- 130 g butter
- 6 eggs
- 350 g sugar
- 2 tbsp vanilla sugar
- 190 g plain flour (Type 405)
Instructions 0 / 7
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1
Make the crumble.
Add the caramel sweets and peanut butter to the mixing bowl and heat for 10 minutes / 70°C / speed 2 until small crumbles form. Set aside.
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2
Chop the couverture.
Break the couverture into pieces, add to the mixing bowl and chop for 5 seconds / speed 8.
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3
Melt the butter.
Cut the butter into pieces, add to the mixing bowl and melt for 5 minutes / 50°C / speed 1. Set aside.
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4
Preheat the oven.
Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan 150°C, gas mark 2). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
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5
Whip the eggs.
Insert the butterfly whisk. Add the eggs, sugar and vanilla sugar to the mixing bowl and whip for 6 minutes / 37°C / speed 4 until light and fluffy.
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6
Mix the chocolate batter.
Stir for 1 minute / speed 4 and slowly pour the butter and couverture through the opening in the lid into the mixing bowl. Then stir for a further 1 minute / speed 4 and slowly add the flour through the opening in the lid.
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7
Bake the brownie batter and cut the brownies.
Spread the chocolate batter on the baking tray and scatter the crumble on top. Place the tray on the lowest rack of the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Leave to cool, then cut into squares approximately 4 cm across.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Why 70°C is the key for the crumble
At 70°C the caramel sweets melt just enough to combine with the peanut butter without becoming completely liquid. At 80°C the mixture turns too runny and slides off the batter during baking. At 60°C it stays too firm and no crumble forms. Ten minutes at speed 2 is the precise point between too hard and too soft.
After heating you get small, sticky crumbles. Transfer them straight away to a bowl and set aside. Now rinse the mixing bowl with hot water and dry it with kitchen paper, otherwise the chocolate batter will stick to the caramel residue.
The butterfly whisk is essential for the egg mixture
The brownie batter gets its fudgy texture from the eggs whipped to a foam. Without the butterfly whisk the mixture does not become airy enough and the brownies turn dense rather than moist. Six minutes at 37°C and speed 4 beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla sugar into a pale, creamy mixture.
While whipping, the sugar dissolves completely into the eggs. You can tell because the mixture turns lighter in colour and visibly increases in volume. Only then do you slowly add the melted butter and chopped couverture through the opening in the lid. Not too quickly, otherwise the whipped eggs will collapse.
Flour last, added slowly
The flour goes in last, slowly through the opening in the lid while the butterfly whisk is running at speed 4. If you add it too quickly, lumps form that will not dissolve again. The flour binds the chocolate batter but must not make it heavy.
After 1 minute of mixing the batter is ready. It is thick, glossy, dark brown and spreads easily with the spatula across the baking tray. Scatter the crumble evenly over the entire surface. During baking it melts slightly and becomes crisp.
25 minutes on the lowest rack
The baking tray must go on the lowest rack of the oven. At 170°C top and bottom heat (150°C fan) the brownies need 25 to 30 minutes. The surface sets firm while the centre stays fudgy. If you place the tray higher up, the crumble burns before the batter is cooked through.
After baking, leave to cool on the tray for at least 30 minutes before cutting. Warm brownies crumble when you cut them. Cold ones slice cleanly into 4 cm squares. A sharp knife with a smooth blade works better than a serrated one.
TM31, TM5 and TM6 all work the same
This recipe works identically in all three models. The temperatures and times stay the same because no model-specific functions are needed. The butterfly whisk is the same in every machine, and all models reach 70°C for the crumble with equal precision.
Chilling makes the brownies even fudgier
Freshly baked brownies are good, chilled brownies are better. After 2 hours in the fridge the texture becomes firmer, the crumble gets crunchier and the chocolate flavour deepens. You can also freeze the brownies. After thawing at room temperature they taste just as good as freshly baked.
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, the brownies keep for 5 days. Frozen, they last 3 months. To thaw, simply leave at room temperature for 1 hour.
Goes well with: vanilla ice cream and milk.
Also worth a try: Choux Pastry, Thermomix®.
Why not make your own Thermomix® peanut butter at home!
