Coconut Swirl Brownies . . . Sometimes You Don't

Sometimes you feel like a nut . . . and sometimes you don't. I don't like Almond Joy or Mounds but I think that everyone must remember that commercial. And if you don't feel like a nut then my guess is that these brownies would be right up your alley. I'm currently in my annual Lenten, chocolate deprived state but I made these brownies before Lent and, the lazy schlub that I am, I'm just now posting them. I made these for Dudley one Saturday because the boy loves coconut. He's smitten with my baking goodies . . . like a 5 year old would be. He can't get over the array of chocolate chips and sprinkles and then there's the coconut in there. And he will just have a spoonful of the coconut all by itself, something I'd never do.

I saw this recipe in Martha Stewart's Cookies book when I was flipping through looking for Christmas cookies to make and I made a mental note to try these brownies. They're slightly more time consuming than your average brownie but they're not tedious and the end result is a very moist, chewey brownie with a scrummy coconut swirl running through it. They're also just halfway between cakey and fudgey -- my perfect brownie.

Coconut Swirl Brownies
Martha Stewart Cookies
Makes 9 large or 16 small

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 large egg white
2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a buttered 8-inch square baking pan with parchment, allowing a 2-inch overhang. Butter lining (not overhang).

Stir together 1 tablespoon of sugar, the condensed milk, coconut, egg white, and 1/4 teaspoon of the vanilla in a bowl.

Put butter and both chocolates in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; stir until melted. Let cool slightly.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

Whisk remaining 3/4 cup sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs; whisk until mixture is smooth. Stir in remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla. Add flour mixture; stir until well combined.

Pour one-third of the chocolate batter into the prepared pan. Spread evenly with an offset spatula. Drop dollops of the coconut mixture (about 1 tablespoon each) on top of batter, spacing about 1 inch apart. Drizzle remaining batter on top, and gently spread to fill pan. Drop dollops of remaining coconut mixture on top.

Gently swirl coconut mixture into batter with a butter knife, running the knife lengthwise and crosswise through layers. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the brownies comes out with a few crumbs, but is not wet, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Lift out; let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

By the way, the Cookies cookbook is great. I had my doubts about it and I didn't buy it for awhile. Then, in a moment of weakness right before Christmas I saw it on sale and I purchased it. I have to say, I love this book. The cookies are separated by texture which, in my humble opinion, is a wonderful idea! The pictures are great and there are recipes in there, such as this one, that are not available on the website.