German Chocolate Brownies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We had our second Easter dinner tonight. The first, which also happened to be our 51st wedding anniversary, was a bit of a disaster. Truth be told, I nearly cremated a leg of lamb that I thought was safely spinning on the spit of our new grill. Like Enrico, the troubadour in Il Trovatore, I was distracted and in my haste to start, finish and prioritize chores, I left both burners, as well as the rotisserie element of the grill on high. Within 40 minutes there was an inch of char covering my gorgeous, and I might add pricey, leg of lamb. Needless-to-say, we had pizza, as well as some interesting side dishes, for dinner Sunday night. Determined to do better, and to prove to myself that some kitchen witch had not stolen my culinary prowess, I recreated our Easter dinner tonight. I'm happy to report I still have game. The Silver Fox loved the brownies I made for dessert, so I thought I'd share them with you. I know you already have a gazillion recipes for brownies, but these German chocolate bars are so nice that I thought they might entice you to add just one more recipe to your collection. The recipe is based on one that first appeared in Cook's Country magazine, so rest assured, the brownies are worth your time, effort and dinero. I know you will enjoy them. Here is how they are made.

German Chocolate Brownies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Cook's Country magazine

Ingredients:
Brownies
1 package (11-1/2 ounces) bittersweet chocolate chips
8 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 cup flour
Pecan Coconut Frosting
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
1 egg and 1 egg yolk, beaten
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Optional Drizzle
1/3 cup melted semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square pan with foil, allowing foil to overhang sides of pan. Coat foil-lined pan with vegetable spray.
2) Melt chocolate chips, butter and cocoa powder in a microwave, about 1-3 minutes, stirring every 20 to 30 seconds. Let cool slightly.
3) Beat sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt together in a large bowl until combined, about 15 seconds. Beat in chocolate mixture until smooth. Beat in flour just until no streaks remain. (Note: if you don't have an electric mixer, a spoon works just fine)
4) Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out with just a few crumbs, about 35 to 40 minutes.
5) Let cool completely on a wire rack.
6) Meanwhile, combine evaporated milk, sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla and cornstarch in a large saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thick. Remove from heat and stir in pecans and coconut. Spread on brownies while still warm. Allow frosting to set completely before cutting the brownies. If desired, drizzle additional melted chocolate over top of brownies. When frosting is set grab foil and remove brownies from the pan. Cut into bars. Yield: about 25 (1-1/2 inch) bars.

                    

                                                    Older Posts

                 One Year Ago Today:                                                       Two Years Ago Today:

Glazed Carrots with White Wine and Muscats                                          Peanut Butter Bars

                 Three Years Ago Today:                                                   Four Years Ago Today: 

                  Venetian Rice and Peas                                                     Garlic Herb Yeast Rolls