Bake 52: Lunchbox Brownies (with coconut pecan frosting)

See the coconut pecan frosting on there?  I did that for Valerie.  She loves it when I do that kind of thing. ;)  Actually if I am being honest, I did it for me.  One of the variations of this brownie (and there are quite a few in the book) was a "german chocolate" variation, but it just called for butterscotch chips to be added.  What about the coconut?  What about the pecans?  I am not sure

you can call anything "german chocolate" without it, can you?  And then I had coconut pecan frosting stuck in my head and I just happen to have all the ingredients.  And I love it so much, I can't even tell you.  I will often just eat the frosting with a spoon.  Have I told you that I used to think I didn't like nuts?  And that I didn't like nuts in baked things?  Yeah, I do now.  Not all the time, but always when there is coconut pecan frosting involved.

In this case, I was expecting the brownie to be less chocolatey.  The recipe only calls for 3 oz of chocolate and that didn't sound like a whole lot, but those 3 ounces pack a punch!  These were some CHOCOLATEY (fudgey) brownies.  Which I happen to think is an awesome thing.  They were almost so chocolatey that it canceled out the frosting.  When I make these again, I think they would be fine by themselves, no frosting necessary.  Maybe a big scoop of ice cream though...I have a feeling these would be delicious with a scoop of ice cream or two.  

I have two other brownie recipes that hold a special place in my heart and I don't keep unsweetened chocolate squares on hand normally so I am not sure how often I would make these, but I am glad to have the recipe because they are worth making again for sure.  And although the coconut pecan frosting wasn't necessary here, it is necessary in general to make it often and eat it with a spoon.  

Coconut Pecan Frosting (I used 1/3 of the recipe for the brownies)

Source: Lion House Desserts  

3 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

1 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups coconut

1 cup pecans, chopped

Combine egg yolks, sugar, evaporated milk, butter and vanilla in a large saucepan.  Whisk while cooking over med heat until thickened, about 12-15 minutes.  Be careful to stir constantly, mixture will burn easily.  

Once thick, add coconut and pecans, beat until thick enough to spread.  

(Will thicken after cooling also)  Makes 3 cups, enough to cover the tops of three 8-9 inch layers or one 9x13 cake.

The brownies were pretty quickly thrown together.  It was only necessary to heat the chocolate with the butter in the microwave (that was the hardest part) and then mix everything else together.  I love the tips in the book about the foil sling, it really does make cutting easier.  As long as you remember to grease the foil (which I forgot to do with the 7 layer bars)

My sous chef and bowl cleaner.

And we didn't wait the 2 hours we were supposed to before cutting.  It's almost a crime to let a brownie cool completely before eating.  (Rules according to Amanda)

Liz was our host this week, thanks for picking a great recipe Liz!  You can find the recipe at her blog HERE a little later today.  Even if you have a favorite brownie recipe, this one is worth trying. 



Printer friendly recipe (for the frosting)