Time to roll up those sleeves and get a little flour on the counter—just like in my childhood kitchen!

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9×9 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter and sugar. Whisk until smooth—about 2 minutes of elbow grease.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
4. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring just until combined.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips if using. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly.
6. Drizzle half of the caramel sauce over the brownie batter, then sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
7. Pour the remaining brownie batter on top, smoothing the surface. Finish with the remaining caramel sauce and a final sprinkle of sea salt.
8. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Not too clean, not too gooey—perfectly fudgy.
9. Let the brownies cool in the pan on a wire rack before slicing into squares.

Pro tip: Use a warm knife to slice through the caramel layer cleanly. It’s a trick I learned from my dad when he needed to cut through sticky baklava.