Tamarind Caramel Brownies

My husband considers himself something of a brownie connoisseur, and he told me these tamarind caramel brownies were the best he’d ever eaten. I’ll let you be the judge of that (since he is blinded by the extreme bias of love), but what is clear is that tamarind’s sharpness takes flight in sweet desserts, its sweetly sour profile offsetting the richness of the caramel in this deeply chocolaty brownie.

Served warm straight from the oven, it’s a dessert brownie, the kind you serve with a scoop of ice cream. Served chilled or at room temperature, it’s the kind of pick-me-up, snacking brownie that you might nibble in the warm afternoon sunlight while sipping your last coffee of the day.

A little espresso powder enhances the spice and caramel notes of the chocolate, because coffee and chocolate share the same flavor characteristics. The addition of macadamias is a nod to my Australian roots; it’s a famous nut down under that is buttery and creamy, adding blissful texture to the fudginess of the brownie (and yes, these brownies are the fudgy kind!). You can substitute the macadamias with most nuts, such as walnuts or pecans.

To prevent your brownie mixture from splitting, make sure your eggs are at room temperature before adding them. You can freeze any leftovers for up to 3 months, but the brownies will last for about 3–4 days in an airtight container at room temperature, or up to a week in the fridge.

This recipe was excerpted from ‘A Splash of Soy’ by Lara Lee. Buy the full book on Amazon.