Coconut Checkerboard Brownies : Free and Easy Bake-Along #28

Time for our Bake-Along #28! For our bake this week, I have chosen Coconut Checkerboard Brownies to bake along with Lena, Zoe and our wonderful baking friends. Ever since I got this book, Bon Appetit Desserts, this is one of the recipes that I've bookmarked and is looking forward to bake! I love coconuts in baked desserts and have never tried it in a brownie before, sounds delicious, and it is delicious!

Delicious Coconut Checkerboard Brownies

I baked this yesterday afternoon actually, this time, it was really last minute! LOL! I have good reason, have not been feeling too good lately but am OK now.  This brownie does take a little extra work, but it is worth it. Firstly the bottom chocolate layer is made by melting the chocolate and butter. The recipe calls for unsweetened chocolate, but I use the bits and pieces of leftover chocolates from my previous bakings, a mixture of semi-sweet chocolate and dark chocolate. The melted chocolate mixture is then mixed with egg, sugar, flour. About 1-1/4 cups are then spread onto the greased cake pan, cover with aluminium foil and refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours. Reserve the balance, cover and refrigerate. So advance planning is required to make this brownie.

The coconut layer is made by processing the flaked coconuts with the sugar until fine, and the rest of the ingredients are added in, mix until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours. At the end of 3 hours, place dollops of the coconut mixture and the reserved chocolate batter by the tablespoons, over the firm batter in the cake pan. Scatter some flaked coconuts over the coconut batter, cover the the pan securely with aluminium foil and baked for 40-45 minutes at a low temperature of 325F, remove foil and continue baking for a further 40 minutes. Mine was done at 35 minutes. Cool brownie in pan on wire rack.

The brownie smells incredibly nice while baking, due to the almond and vanilla extract and the coconuts! When it was warm, I sliced and ate a piece, it was good. It tastes even better later in the night, when the brownie has really cool, the taste of the chocolate is more intense and moist. The cheese part is soft and moist and the coconut deliciously chewy. Make this a day ahead and enjoy it the next day or later in the day when the flavours have all come together. Yum!

 Overall, a delicious, lovely brownie!

Please visit Lena and Zoe and all our friends who are baking along with us in the linky below. For our next Bake-Along, we will be baking based on a theme, this time we are going savoury with Chicken Pie! Treat your family with some chicken pie and join us by linking your post in the blog-hop linky which will start from 26th July until 1st August. 

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I'm sharing this with :
Cookbook Sundays hosted by Couscous & Consciousness
Recipe Box hosted by Bizzy Bakes

Coconut Checkerboard Brownies
(adapted from "Bon Appetit Desserts, by Barbara Fairchild)
Coconut Batter
7-ounce sweetened flaked coconut
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup canned sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco Real or Coco Lopez)
2 ounces Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes, room temperature
1 extra-large egg
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/8 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
pinch of salt


Chocolate Batter
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
3-1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 extra-large eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups (packed) golden brown sugar (I use 1 scant cup)
3/4 cup sifted unbleached all purpose flour (sifted, then measured)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt


Coconut Batter : Measure 1/3 cup flaked cocount; cover and set aside. Place remaining coconut and sugar in processor, finely chop. Add cream of coconut and cream cheese to processor and blend well. Add egg, almond extract, lemon juice, and salt and blend well, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of bowl. Transfer to bowl. Cover and refrigerate until very firm, about 3 hours.


Chocolate Batter : Butter a 9x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Melt butter with chocolate in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Pour into medium bowl. Cool to lukewarm. Whisk in eggs and vanilla. Whisk sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt in small bowl; sift over chocolate mixture. Mix until blended and smooth. Spread 1-1/4 cups chocolate batter in prepared pan (cover and refrigerate remaining batter). Cover pan tightly with aluminium foil. Refrigerate batter until very firm, about 3 hours.


Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325F. Alternate 1 tablespoon remaining chocolate batter and 1 tablespoon coconut batter over chocolate layer, filling pan completely. Sprinkle reserved 1/3 cup flaked coconut over coconut mounds; press gently to adhere. Cover pan tightly with foil.


Bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake until tester inserted in center of 1 chocolate mound comes out almost clean, about 40 minutes. Cool brownies completely in pan on rack.


Do Ahead : Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover brownies tightly and store at room temperature.


Cut into squares.


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