Caramel Walnut Brownies

Are you sitting down? Because I am about to share THE most requested recipe I have ever made. Never, in the history of my time in the kitchen, have I found a recipe that elicits such an overwhelming response as these. To make the recipe even sweeter, it is extremely simple to make. I've made it so many times in the last 13 years that I can almost whip up a batch of these Caramel Walnut Brownies with my eyes closed.

There is a catch, though. One of the recipe ingredients can be downright impossible to find, but fortunately the internet makes finding most any ingredient possible.

The mystery ingredient?

I have unsuccessfully searched the aisles of grocery stores in 6 different states.

The past 6 years I have had to order it in bulk from amazon.com.

What is it?

Duncan Hines Caramel Cake Mix!!

Rarely do I use a cake mix because I enjoy the process of baking things from scratch, but on this recipe, nothing but a caramel cake mix will do. I have even tried making a homemade caramel cake, but it just fails to match up to the flavor and texture of the brownies when they are made with cake mix. Can you find this cake mix where you live?

Caramel Walnut Brownies

adapted from Southern Living

14-oz. bag caramels

5-oz can of evaporated milk, divided use

1 box Duncan Hines Caramel Cake Mix

1 tsp cinnamon

12 TBS butter, melted

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9X9-inch pan and set aside.

Place the caramels in a microwave-safe bowl and add 1/3 cup of the evaporated milk. Microwave for 1 minute on high and stir to combine. Continue microwaving on high at 30-second intervals, stirring each time, until the caramel and milk are melted, smooth, and combined. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, cinnamon, butter, vanilla, and remaining 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Stir just until combined. Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Don't worry about being exact when dividing the cake batter. Set the remaining cake batter aside. It will firm as it sits.

Slide the pan into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. At this time, I also like to spread the walnuts onto a shallow pan and toast them while the cake is baking. Remove the walnuts from the oven when they are fragrant and golden brown.

Allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes. Pour melted caramel over the semi-baked batter and evenly sprinkle the toasted walnuts on top. Take large spoonfuls of the remaining batter, approximately 1/3 cup, which is now firm, and press it between the palms of your hands. Pat it as thinly as possible without breaking it apart. Lay the batter on top of the walnuts. Continue patting the batter and placing it on top of the walnuts. There might be some overlapping of the batter, and there might be several spots where the caramel barely peeks through. Precision is not necessary.

Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan on a wire rack. It is helpful to refrigerate the brownies before cutting them into squares. These freeze well, and they make great treats to mail. In short, they are perfect Christmas goodies!