Mounds Bar Brownies

If you can't tell by the title and the picture, these are amazing.  Sweet, chewy, coconutty deliciousness. But to gather all the ingredients to make these, I had to dig in my messy bathroom cabinet.

Yup.  The bathroom.

If you haven't met coconut oil yet, allow me to introduce you.  Want shiny, moisturized legs?  Coconut oil.  Kid got a patch of weird eczema-looking stuff on his skin? Coconut oil. Dry hands and flaky cuticles? Coconut oil. Stubborn eye make-up won't come off? Coconut oil.

Sensing a theme?  I use it for everything skin-wise. Just scoop a little bit in your hand, let it melt in your palm, and know you've got a cheap, natural, super-effective, great-smelling, moisturizing cure-all in your hands.

As Miley Cyrus would say, that's...pretty cool.

To be honest, I don't cook with coconut oil a lot, but including it in your diet isn't a bad idea. If you want to get into the health benefits of coconut oil, click here.  If you just want to make brownies, read on.

I found this recipe in Melissa Clark's new cookbook Cook This Now. She calls them Coconut Fudge Brownies, but I'm guessing she did that to avoid the wrath of the Mounds Bar Company, as clearly the dark chocolatey-ness and abundance of coconut screams that candy bar's name. In the cookbook, the recipes are organized by month, making it ultra-seasonal, which of course I love.  Clark also happens to be a great writer, telling the background story of each recipe, making me want to make each dish that much more.  This is one of those cookbooks I take to bed with me, much to the chagrin of my husband.

Enough blabber.  Here's the recipe.

Mounds Bar Brownies
1/3 cup Dutch process cocoa
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut oil (butter may be substituted, if necessary)
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cup sugar
1 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut (do not substitute unsweetened, as it will be too dry for the brownies)
Fleur de sel, for sprinkling (kosher salt may be substituted)

Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the cocoa powder, unsweetened chocolate, and boiling water together until smooth. Whisk in the the melted butter and coconut oil. Don’t be alarmed if the mixture looks curdled. Add the eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla, and whisk until combined. Whisk in the sugar until fully incorporated. Add the flour and salt and gently fold with a spatula until just combined. Fold in the bittersweet chocolate pieces.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth in out. Sprinkle 1 cup of coconut on top of it. Spread the remaining batter on top of the coconut. Sprinkle the remaining cup of coconut on top of that. Dust with a bit of fleur de sel and bake until a tester inserted into the center of the brownie is just set and shiny, 30-35 minutes. If you test with a toothpick, it may seem wet, which is fine. It will solidify as it cools. It is better to under- bake these brownies, than to over-bake them. Cool completely before cutting into squares. Enjoy!