Turtle Brownie Sheets

For our large, winter holiday party, we had a dessert buffet of all homemade desserts, with the exception of one decadent chocolate cake from a bakery. One of the items I made were these turtle brownies. It was a first for me in many ways because removing the turtle brownies in one large sheet from the pan after chilling it was a bit of a challenge. It was definitely a test of my patience. These brownies are rich and delicious, taste excellent with milk or vanilla ice cream, and because they are so dense they are best as small, bite-size brownies. They are perfect for entertaining because you can make them ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator for up to two weeks - and they will still look and taste delicious! I found this recipe for Turtle Brownies on epicurious.com. Enjoy!

Turtle Brownies
(64 brownies)

Ingredients:
For Brownie Layer:
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs

For caramel-pecan layer:
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
3 tablespoons water
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups pecans

Directions:
1. Preheat oven toe 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and flour a square 9 inch glass baking dish, knocking out excess flour.
2. For the brownie layer: whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.
3. Melt the butter and chocolates in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring continuously until smooth, then remove from heat. Let it cool until it is lukewarm and stir in brown sugar and vanilla.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating with a wooden spoon after each addition until mixture is glossy and smooth. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined.
5. Spread batter evenly in the baking dish and bake in the middle of the oven until a tester comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack.
For caramel-pecan layer:
6. Bring sugar, corn syrup, water and a pinch of salt to a boil in a 3 quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then boil, without stirring, until mixture turns a golden caramel color, about 15 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and carefully add cream and vanilla (mixture will bubble and steam). Stir in pecans immediately and pour over the brownie layer, spreading evenly. Cool completely in pan on rack.
8. Chill brownies, loosely covered, until caramel is firm, at least 4 hours. Just before serving cut the chilled brownies into 64 1 inch squares, then bring them to room temperature and serve.