Samoa Brownies

Samoa Brownies - made September 22, 2012, recipes adapted from Alchemy Baking and  Six Sisters' Stuff

I got the inspiration for these brownies from Six Sisters' Stuff blog and their picture looked scrumptious.  But they lost me at "brownie mix" so I decided to keep the concept but bake brownies from scratch.  The brownie recipe is from a different blog and one I had pinned earlier.  One of my pin boards is labeled "Baking Recipes I Want to Try" and I'm making a concerted effort to actually try those recipes instead of just pinning them.  Once I make a recipe from that board, I move it to a different board titled "Pinned Recipes I've Already Made".  That way I can keep track.  (Why, yes, I am just that fussy.)

You can go with your own brownie recipe but if you do, I recommend choosing one where most of the chocolate flavor comes from unsweetened chocolate and/or cocoa powder because the topping is best suited for a dark chocolate brownie as opposed to a sweet chocolate one.  The topping is sweet enough because of the caramel and complements a dark, fudgy brownie nicely.  The crisp of the toasted coconut is somewhat muted when it gets mixed into the liquid caramel so I also sprinkled some toasted coconut on top for added texture and chewiness.  I ended up having more melted semisweet chocolate for the topping (because, really, who measures chocolate and thinks there's such a thing as "too much"?) so it became more of an even layer of chocolate on top rather than dollops.  Semisweet or dark chocolate also works well for the topping instead of milk chocolate to prevent the brownie from being too sweet because of the caramel.  I really liked this flavor combination.  If you want it to be more samoa-like, you can bake a shortbread crust first but it also works just fine with the brownie alone as the base.

1 1/2 sticks (170 g.) unsalted butter

2 ounces (57 g) unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup (200 g)  white sugar

1 cup (180 g) brown sugar, packed

3 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup (150 g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons  (38 g) unsweetened cocoa (I used Droste)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.   Line a 9 inch pan with heavy duty foil to hang over the edges, if it isn't long enough on each side, line it on the opposite side as well to create a sling. Spray with nonstick spray or butter the foil, set aside.
2. In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter and the unsweetened chocolate together until melted. Whisk in both sugars, and mix until blended, then add the vanilla, salt and eggs, and whisk again well. Add the flour and cocoa and stir until incorporated, the batter will be thick. Pour the batter in the prepared pan.
3. Bake in the center of the oven for 35-40 minutes, until the edges are set, but the center is still a bit soft, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out coated with a little bit of batter. Don't over bake.
4. Let them cool to room temperature for an hour, then refrigerate them until they are just firm about another hour. Lift the brownies from the foil and peel off the foil. Serve them at room temperature.
5. They will keep (and remain fudgy) (wrapped well in plastic or in an air tight container) for at least 4 days.

Topping
2 cups shredded or sweetened, flaked coconut toasted
1 14-ounce package of caramels, unwrapped
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tablespoons milk
3 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (or more if desired)

1. Prepare brownies and cool.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and place coconut on baking pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir coconut and cook for another 2-3 minutes until toasted. Watch closely so it doesn't burn.
3. In a large, microwaveable bowl, add unwrapped caramels, salt, and milk and cook on high for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally (about every 45-60 seconds). Cook until all caramels are melted and smooth. Or melt in a small, heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring until melted and smooth.
4. Add coconut and mix together. Spread over cooled brownies. Let cool and set for an hour.  Melt semisweet chocolate chips and stir until smooth.  Drizzle or spread over the coconut layer.  Let set for at least 20-30 minutes.  You may cut while chocolate is still soft for gooey texture or wait until it sets.