Bunny's "Killer" Brownies

This is a family recipe we've been making around the holidays for years. It's also the signature dish we give to our neighbors, friends, and as appreciation for anyone we can think of. I remember when I was in Middle School and I had broken my collar bone and couldn't eat in the mayhem of the cafeteria. As a thank you for the guidance counselor's office for putting me up while I was in a sling, my mother passed on these brownies. She sent them with a note that read, "If you are at risk of a heart attack, please don't partake." That's why they have the nickname, "Killer" Brownies. Those who live in the Dayton, Ohio area will find these to be similar to Dorothy Lane Market's Brownies. They are really dense and you don't need big pieces. These are made using German Chocolate Cake Mix, not brownie mix, so it's an out of the box (off the label) type of recipe.

12 oz bag of Kraft Caramels

2/3 cup of Evaporated Milk (1/3 cup at a time)

1 box of German Chocolate Cake Mix (We use Betty Crocker Super Moist German Chocolate Cake Mix)

1 1/2 stick salted butter

12 oz package of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 325.

In a large bowl thoroughly mix the cake mix, 1/3 cup evaporated milk, and the 1 1/2 stick of butter (melted).

Unwrap the caramels. This is the hardest part for my wife, she gets to doing it and then accidentally puts the wrapper in the cup and the caramel in the trash, lol. Add the remaining 1/3 cup of evaporated milk to the caramels and melt them together. I normally do this in the microwave, a minute at a time (for the first 2 minutes), then I stir regularly as I watch it 30 seconds at a time. You want to make sure it is thoroughly melted, but don't want it to crystalize. You want the melted caramels to be ready when you pull out the base cake after 6 minutes. So this can be done in combination with cooking the base in the next step.

In a 9 x 13 Pyrex Pan, grease the bottom and sides, then spread half of the batter (I usually do a little less than half) across the bottom of the pan. Cook for 6 minutes.

While that is cooking, place the rest of the mixture on wax paper and spread it across the same size as the 9 x 13 pan. I used the pan topper I have as a guide. I find this to be the easiest way to get coverage in later steps.

While the base is still hot (after removing from the oven), spread the whole bag of chocolate chips evenly. Then layer across the whole pan the melted caramel mixture.

Once the good stuff is layered on the base, drop the top (from the wax paper) over the entire pan. If you aren't comfortable with that process, you can do it piece by piece and cover it as best as possible. The cake mix will expand, so it doesn't have to be perfect.

Bake at 325 for an additional 20 minutes.

Let the brownies cool (they will get too messy to cut warm). You don't need to cut them into big pieces, they will be very rich and dense. I usually cut them to a minimum of 48 pieces, usually more.

You will end up wanting to make these all the time, trust me. I highly recommend potentially making two batches at once to make sure of a whole can of evaporated milk. I don't really use it for anything else, so it makes sense to just make more brownies.