Fudgy Coconut Brownies

If a Mounds bar makes your heart sing, get ready to burst into a full blown belt for these Fudgy Coconut Brownies. Happy Friday!

What is it about the combination of chocolate and coconut that is so appealing?!!! Considering my love for things coconut and my deep abiding affection for brownies, I can’t believe I’ve never combined the two before. Now, these luscious treats will be on my regular rotation!!

You could totally make these using ordinary sweetened shredded coconut, but topping the brownies with unsweetened coconut shards, intensifies the coconut flavor even more.

Plus, they make the brownies look so interesting and geometric!

And can we talk about the crunch factor these coconut shards add? Such a perfect counterpoint to the chewy, bittersweet chocolate brownie layer below.

Every bite is golden coconut and rich chocolate perfection!

I guarantee they’ll be a huge hit at any socially distant bbq’s, picnics, or potlucks you’ve got planned!

Ok, my friends, have a terrific weekend, stay safe and I’ll see you next week as we (gulp) head into July together!!

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Fudgy Coconut Brownies

Makes about 2 dozen

Prep Time: for the coconut layer: 10 minutes, plus 30 minutes to cool; Prep Time for Brownie layer: 10 minutes; Bake Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients

For the coconut layer

• 1 large egg white

• Scant 1 ¼ cups unsweetened, dried coconut chips (they have them at Trader Joes—if you can’t find unsweetened, you can use 1 cup of the regular sweetened dried shredded coconut)

• ¼ cup sugar

• ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

• Large pinch of salt

For the brownie layer

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)

• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped

• 1 cup , plus 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 2 large eggs, cold

• ½ cup unbleached, all-purpose flour

The Recipe

1. To make the coconut layer: Place an inch or two of water in the bottom of a double boiler and bring to a low boil. Combine the egg white, coconut, sugar, vanilla and salt in the bowl and set it atop the boiling water, stirring with a heatproof spatula or spoon, for about 5 minutes, scraping the bottom, until the mixture is very hot and the egg white has thickened a bit. It will change from translucent to opaque. Scrape the mixture into another bowl and let sit for about 30 minutes to thicken up and allow the coconut to absorb more of the mixture. Leave the water in the pot.

2. Move an oven rack to the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350ºF. Line a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil, so that it hangs over the sides.

3. To make the brownie layer: Wash and dry the top of the double boiler or use another bowl that fits atop the pot with the water in it. Add the butter and the chopped chocolate to the bowl and stir often, until the both are melted and the mixture is hot. Remove the bowl from the heat and use a wooden spoon to stir in the sugar, vanilla and salt. Add both eggs and stir well. Add the flour and stir vigorously with the spoon until the batter is glossy and smooth and comes away from the edges of the bowl. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

4. Drop the coconut mixture randomly all over the top of the batter in a somewhat even layer. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the brownies puff at the edges and the coconut is deeply golden brown. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan on a rack. Use the foil overhang to lift the brownies out of the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into squares and serve.

Enjoy!

Note: Recipe adapted from Chewy, Gooey, Crispy Crunchy by Alice Medrich. I stuck pretty close to the original recipe, except for some of the cooking techniques.