Chocolate Brownies

May 3, 2017

These Chocolate Coconut Passion Brownies – creamy, aromatic, divine – tease your taste buds to rapt attention. Their complex texture includes a smoked coconut topping that intensifies the classic brownie taste for an experience that recalls campfires under dark chocolate skies. A subtle, relaxed, and bliss-inducing treat that softens the universe just a little. Go ahead, enjoy another bite, and savour melted, buttery perfection.

Kudos to Alice Medrich for this recipe, which I’ve altered with smoked coconut. Her book Chewy, Gooey, Crispy Crunchy, Melt in your Mouth Cookies is an excellent addition to your library.

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Ingredients

Makes 25 brownies

Volume Grams Ounces

Coconut Topping Ingredients

1 large 35 grams 1 1/4 ounces egg white
1 1/4 cups 50 grams 1.75 ounces unsweetened coconut dried flaked
1 cup 85 grams 3 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut
coconut —smoked (optional) see how to smoke baking ingredients
1 drop 1 drop 1 drop liquid smoke (optional)
1/4 cup (or 2 tablespoons if using sweetened coconut) 49 grams (or 25 grams if using the sweetened coconut) 1.75 ounces (or 1 ounce if using the sweetened coconut) sugar
pinch of salt
3/4 teaspoon 3/4 teaspoon 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Brownie Ingredients

8 tablespoons (1 stick) 113 grams 4 ounces unsalted butter
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons 220 grams 7.8 ounces sugar
3/4 cup 113 grams 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/4 teaspoon 1/4 teaspoon 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large 100 grams 3.50 ounces eggs, cold
1/2 cup 64 grams 2.25 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour

Instructions

PREPARE THE COCONUT TOPPING INGREDIENTS

Smoke the coconut flakes if desired or toss the flakes in 1 or 2 drops of liquid smoke (to taste). See The Finer Cookie’s post on how to smoke baking ingredients.
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat oven to 325F.
Line the bottom and all four sides of an 8-inch square pan with parchment, leaving a little to hang over the sides – enough to grip.
Grease the parchment then flour well. Tap out the excess.
Set out a double boiler over barley simmering water.

Combine egg white, coconut, 1/4 cup sugar, pinch of salt and vanilla in a large bowl or the top of a double boiler.

FINISH THE COCONUT TOPPING

Set the large bowl or the top of a double boiler with the egg white and coconut mixture over barely simmering water.
The egg white will thicken slightly and turn from translucent to opaque, 3 to 4 minutes.

Coconut topping cooked over a double boiler.

Set aside while you prepare the brownie batter.

PREPARE THE BROWNIE INGREDIENTS

Measure the butter, sugar, cocoa and salt into a large bowl or the top of the same double boiler you used for the coconut topping.

The chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler.

Stir to melt the butter to form a smooth and shiny mixture.

When the mixture is too hot for your finger, remove the bowl and let it cool until warm, not hot.
When the chocolate mixture is cool, stir in the sugar and vanilla.
Add the eggs and stir vigorously.