Dulce de Leche Pecan Brownies

First preheat your oven according to the directions on your brownie mix package.

In a large bowl combine the contents of the brownie mix box and the ingredients required to make the brownie mix (this is typically oil, water and egg).

Just mix the mixture with a fork because you do not want to beat or over-mix brownies. It will result in a flat cakey brownie. You want to mix it until it is pretty smooth but a few bumps or clumps will be fine!

Dump the chocolate chips and half of the dulce de leche can into the bowl and stir with a fork until it is incorporated. Then add the chopped pecans and stir until incorporated.

Grease a 13×9-baking pan and pour the brownie mix into the pan. Use a spatula to scrape the bowl and lick the batter off the spatula get all the batter into the pan.

Once all the batter is in, drop the remaining dulce de leche on top of the batter and space it out a bit. Take the side of a butter knife and smear the dulce de leche into the batter. Get fancy and make a pretty design if you feel like being creative!

Once the batter is ready, place in your pre-heated oven and cook per the instructions on your brownie mix. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick in the center and it should come out clean. Another way and a better way to test for brownies is that when they start to pull away from the sides of the pan, they are done. For the final check, shake the pan a bit back and forth (with a pot holder on your hand of course) while it is on the baking rack. If you can see the brownie jiggle (like my thighs! HA!) then you need to let it cook a bit longer.

Once they are done, cut them up! I like to do about 2”x2” squares! Cooking tip: once your brownies have cooled for 30 to 40 minutes, use a PLASTIC FORK to cut them and you will not tear up the brownies while they are in the pan!

All you have to do next is plate and serve these babies! Preferably with a nice cold glass of milk and if you have been doing the fancy instructions because you are feeling fancy, a scoop of vanilla ice cream wouldn’t hurt either!