So I went to Argentina, turned 30 and then came back again. Most days went something like this: steak, malbec, some more steak, a bit more malbec followed by a generous dollop of dulce de leche and washed down by some more malbec. Times were good. So we brought back a large cowhide, a lot of booze and a jar of dulce de leche to continue the party back home.

These brownies are the result of the dulce’s first outing and today’s secret ingredient – it makes the brownies perfectly squidgy and the flecks of sea salt cut through the richness to make these a very adult treat. If there ever was an X-rated bake, this is it.

Ingredients:

Makes a 25cm x 25cm tray – approximately 25 (you guessed it, 5cm x 5cm) brownies

– 175g unsalted butter, melted
– 300g caster sugar
– 45g good quality cocoa powder, sifted
– 175g plain flour, sifted
– scant 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
– 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
– 3 large eggs (free range please), lightly beaten
– 125g dulce de leche
– 60g good quality high-cocoa dark chocolate, roughly broken into little bits

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180°C and fully line a 25cm x 25cm tin with baking paper or aluminium foil. Tip: Leave some excess foil or paper hanging over the edges to make it easier to lift the brownies out when they’re done – they can be pretty stubborn!

Stir the melted butter and sugar together. Add the cocoa, flour, baking powder, half the salt and eggs and stir until fully combined.

Pour into your lined tray and drop blobs of dulce de leche on top. Swirl about briefly with a knife until you get a sort of marbled effect as the dulce de leche and chocolate batter mix.

Evenly scatter the chocolate over the mixture and bake for about 25 minutes until just firm on top.

Sprinkle over the remaining salt whilst still warm and leave to cool in the tin. Once cool, cut into squares.

Source: Recipe and photos by pip & little blue.