Dulce de Leche Brownies

1. 
   
   
   Ingredients:
   4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
   3/4 cup butter
   1/4 cup dulce de leche (purchased or homemade, see  recipe below)
   1 1/3 cups sugar
   1/4 cup brown sugar
   3 eggs
   1 cup flour
   1/2 teaspoons salt
   1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
   2 teaspoons vanilla
   1/3 cup dulce de leche
   1/2 cup flour
   3 tablespoons brown sugar
   1/2 cup pecan halves, chopped fine
   1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
   1/4 teaspoon salt
   2 tablespoons butter, melted
   1/3 cup fudge sauce
   
   Preparation:
   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   
   
   Line an 9-inch square baking pan with foil.
   
   
   Melt the butter with the chocolate in the microwave, heating for 15 second intervals on medium power and stirring in between, until melted.
   
   
   Whisk in 1/4 cup dulce de leche (recipe here), eggs, and vanilla.
   
   
   Stir in flour and salt until well mixed. Pour batter into pan.
   
   
   In a small bowl, mix together 1/3 cup dulce de leche, 1/2 cup flour, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, chopped pecans, cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Mixture should be crumbly - add 1-2 more tablespoons of flour if it's too sticky.
   
   
   Sprinkle crumbled mixture over brownie batter in an even layer.
   
   
   Place pan in oven, lower temperature to 325 degrees, and bake for 45-50 minutes.
   
   
   Check for doneness (center of brownies should be firm and not jiggly). Bake for 5-10 minutes more if necessary. 

Dulce de Leche

Ingredients
1 quart whole milk
12 ounces sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Directions


Combine the milk, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds in a large, 4-quart saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the baking soda and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered at a bare simmer. Stir occasionally, but do not re-incorporate the foam that appears on the top of the mixture. Continue to cook for 1 hour. Remove the vanilla bean after 1 hour and continue to cook until the mixture is a dark caramel color and has reduced to about 1 cup, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a month.