Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 inch pan with foil so that the bottom is fully covered and foil overlaps over the long sides (these will be used as handles to lift out the finished brownies). Spray the foil with non-stock cooking spray.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour and cocoa. Set aside.

In a 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium low heat until the bubbling slows and almost subsides. Be careful not to burn the butter. Remove the pot from heat and stir in the chopped dark chocolate. Allow to cool.

In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, combine the two types of sugar, salt, eggs, vanilla extract, and espresso powder. Whip on medium-high speed until lightly fluff, about 8-10 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and incorporate the chocolate-butter mixture. Add the flour mix one cup at a time and mix until incorporated.

Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and fold the ingredients together with a rubber spatula to be sure it is well mixed. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, smoothing the top with the spatula. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center can be removed clean. Let cool to room temperature.

Return the sauce pot to the burner over low heat and bring to a low boil. Whisk until smooth.

Transfer the caramel sauce to a heat-safe bowl and allow to cool fully. You will have more caramel sauce than you need for this recipe, but the extra will keep in a sealed jar for a month in the fridge. It’s delicious on any dessert!

Once the brownies and caramel have cooled, you can cut and assemble the mini cakes. Lift the sheet of brownies out of the pan, using the overlapping foil as handles, and place on a cutting board. Using a 3-inch circular cookie cutter, cut out circles and set them aside. The brownies may stick – be careful to clean any dough from cookie cutter between each cut. You should end up with 10-12 circles.

Once you have made as many brownie circles as possible, chop up the remaining brownie “leavings” and put in a container to freeze, for use in other recipes.

Match up the circles, flipping over at least one in each pair so that the very smooth bottom is on the top of the stack. Determine which circles are the bottom halves of your cakes, and which are the tops.

Now, make a small, shallow cavity into the center of each bottom half. You can do this freehand with a knife, or use a 1-inch circular cookie cutter pressed lightly into the center to act as a guide. Remove a small amount of brownie, no more than an inch in diameter and a quarter-inch deep.

Using a clean spoon, fill each cavity with about a teaspoon of caramel. Place the top layers over each bottom, and gently press the two halves together.

Now, the fun part – painting! First, set up a work station. I like to work on a large cutting board for easier clean-up later. Set out your brushes, the small 1-inch cookie cutter, and 2 small and 1 slightly larger bowl.

In the large bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and vodka, using only one tablespoon vodka at a time until you reach a thick but smooth consistently. Transfer a third of the sugar glaze to one of the other two bowls, and stir in 1 drop of black gel food coloring until the icing is dark grey or black. Thin out the paste with another ¼ teaspoon vodka.