Happy February, Foodie Friends!
While most of the country was focused on football, I spent the day watching hockey and catching up on what I decided would be one my fun projects in 2020.
If you read the title of this post, you know what that is. A new brownie recipe a month. Only I didn’t start on Jan. 1. I baked the January recipe on Thursday night. Late, on January 30th. Handed out samples on the 31st (and yesterday!) Then, I dove into the February recipe today. So, I did two months worth in 72 hours. I’m counting that as a win! I also had ALMOST all of the ingredients on hand for both recipes. Another win!
Inspired by Food Network Magazine’s latest double issue, I present to you the first two months of brownies.
January’s recipe was titled “Snow Day Coconut Brownies” and they did not disappoint! The original recipe called for macadamia nuts, but I had pecans on hand so I used those instead. I upped the coconut flavor by adding coconut extract to both the frosting and the brownie batter. I also made my own frosting.
Here’s my version:
For the brownies:
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (I used Nestles Toll House )
2/3 cup coconut oil
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp. coconut extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
For the icing :
1 stick softened butter
1/2 cup shortening
4 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons of half and half
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
For the brownies: Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper. Coat with cooking spray. Combine chocolate and coconut oil in saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring , until melted. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, eggs, and extract until well combined. Stir in flour and salt until smooth. Stir in coconut and pecans. Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake until brownies are done, 30-35 mins. Transfer to a rack and allow to cool before frosting.
For the frosting:
In a standing mixer with whip attachment (or using hand mixer) whip all ingredients together except coconut. When frosting is smooth and spreadable, use angled spatula to cover brownies. Sprinkle coconut over top. Cut into wedges to serve and enjoy!
Now, the February brownies were another hit in the household. I followed the recipe for “Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies” in it’s entirety, so I’ll just leave that link here.
I will admit I was distracted watching hockey while I baked today, and I made a little tiny mistake. The top layer is the cheesecake layer, and should not have cocoa powder in it. It should be more of a swirl effect, but it was a tense 3rd period of the Pittsburgh Penguins game, and I accidentally added some of the cocoa powder to the cream cheese mixture. Once I realized what I did , I scraped out as much as I could, lol! You can see a little of the swirl effect on mine, but not as much as in photo attached to original recipe. I also got fancy and used a heart cookie cutter. It is February , after all!
I hope you enjoyed the first two installments in the “Twelve Months of Brownies”. Wait until you see March! In the meantime, enjoy February, with all its lovely winter coziness. Bake yourself a batch of brownies, and let me know how they turn out for you!
Gina
