I don't keep baking chocolate on hand, but I do always have cocoa in the cupboard. So for these soft and rich brownies, I use cocoa blended with canola oil. Plus chocolate chips. Plus an ooey, gooey super rich swirl of caramel.

6 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 stick unsalted butter

3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with foil, leaving an overhang of an inch or two on two sides (to easily remove baked brownies from pan). Spray foil lightly with cooking spray.

In a small glass bowl, combine cocoa and oil until smooth. Add butter, cut into chunks, and microwave about 30 seconds. Whisk hot mixture until butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Set aside.

In another small bowl (or a 2-cup measuring cup), combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In large mixing bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs. Stir in the cocoa mixture and vanilla, then add the flour mixture. Stir just until combined well (do not over mix), then stir in chocolate chips.

Pour batter into prepared pan, making sure corners are filled and top is smoothed. Drop caramel by spoonfuls in various spots on top. Using a knife, lightly swirl through batter from one side of pan to the other, then turn pan and do that direction as well, to slightly incorporate the caramel into the batter.

Bake 35 minutes or until center is set. Remove dish from oven and cool on wire rack, then refrigerate until brownies are chilled. Once fully chilled, remove brownies from dish by holding foil edges and carefully placing brownies on cutting board and removing foil. Cut into 16 squares. Refrigerate leftovers.

16 brownies.