Wednesday, July 11, 2012

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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A friendly reminder when linking to our blog hop :
1. Please mention Bake-Along event in your own post linking direct to any of the hosts' post (Joyce, Lena or Zoe)
2. Please link only new and current post, related to the current bake or theme.
3. Feel free to display our Bake-Along badge above in your post.


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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38 comments:

  1. Joyce, your brownies look more checkerboard to me! Mine is more like polka dots than checkerboard. Funny that Lena and I baked ours being so different from the original recipe.

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  2. Joyce, this checkerboard is too nice. I will skip this theme and try the chicken pie. Hehehehe!

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  3. Burp ! This is my second brownie ! lol That brownies look pretty scrumptious ! I love the flavor and texture contrast !

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  4. This is the most "original" checkerboard brownies, following the bake along theme :D

    Semi-burnt coconut and chocolate, yum~~~

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  5. those look amazing and delicious!!

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  6. Hi Joyce, your brownie looks very moist. For some reason, my chocolate part wasn't very moist... maybe I baked it too long? Overall, a lovely brownie.

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  7. Look great :) i will skip this round ....

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  8. What a cute effect for those brownies!

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  9. JOyce, yrs look exactly the same from the book. very pretty & nicely baked brownies:)

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  10. Joyce, these brownies look wonderful. I love coconut and chocolate together. Yum.

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  11. Joyce your checkerboard brownies looks awesome. You bake it with just nice color. I like yours.

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  12. Omg, mindblowing brownies, love this coco and chocolate combo..

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  13. Nice brownies! Me giving a miss for this cos having a headache after reading the recipe lol now hopping around admiring these lovely bakes ^.*

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  14. awesome looking brownies.. nice idea.

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  15. Joyce,these are convincing looking checkerboard brownies!I've seen cookie&cake versions b4 but the brownie version is new to me.Very special recipe!

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  16. i seldom bake with coconut, i think this is probably my 2nd or 3rd time baking with coconut and i like them too like you. I'm not sure if i will like all coconut recipes but so far all the ones that i baked , i never hated it! LOL!! i've never tried coconut and choc combo though:) i also like the toasted coconut topping after baking. Now got to chk out the rest of the brownies!

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  17. Wow, they look so cute and yummy!

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  18. These are some fantastic brownies! Great combo of flavours.

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  19. KY (Life is Full)Thursday, July 12, 2012

    Like you, I like coconut and the idea of it in a brownie sounds delicious! I will try this out!

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  20. I am new around your blog :) and I love it..
    I am your new happy follower :D You are welcome to visit my humble blog :D

    xxx
    http://abudhabifood.blogspot.com

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  21. Joyce, can I have this for tomorrow's breakfast? Drooling ... dont let me wait too long, send by express courier ok?

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  22. Very cute looking brownies there Joyce! Wah wah wah...I wish I could spare some times joining these events! Or hosting one atleast...

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  23. From : Jess@Bakericious
    I had used shredded coconut in brownie b4, really yummy so I believe your coconut checkered brownie taste real good, hope can have a slice now!

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  24. From : Elinluv's Sweet Delights
    You guys are doing a great job :) the checkerboard brownies look great...drooling!

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  25. Great job Joyce, looks really delicious :-) something I should try for my father-in-law's birthday as he is forever playing checkers on the computer.

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  26. checkerboard brownies looks absolutely delicious!

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  27. Hi Joyce, this looks not only melts in the mouth, but a woman's heart too.....
    Looks really exotic with the coconut....
    I love anything that has coconut, pineapple or raisins.
    I can see this requires a lot of time and patience on your part.
    Sure would love 2 pieces.....ha ha.
    Have a nice day, Joyce.
    Lee.

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  28. fun fun fun! I love the pattern and all the coconut!

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  29. hi Joyce, yummy yummy yummy...
    can i check when i can buy sweetened cream of coconut? can it be replaced with coconut milk?
    will make tomorrow :) thanks!

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  30. Hi Joyce,
    Your brownies look really nice and well turned out. Mine were soggy with burnt coconut on top :(. Thats why I didnt post it and also we didnt have net connections for two days! God I really missed you all and was really restless and cranky as I couldnt get through. That shows how addicted I m to blogging :D.
    Have a great day!
    xoxo
    Anuja

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  31. Wow, what a great looking brownie - I'm sure it is worth every bit of the extra effort involved. Love the combination of coconut and chocolate.

    Thanks so much for sharing this at Cookbook Sundays.

    Sue xo

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  32. Wow! These are so lovely! Great combination of chocolate & coconut that I'm sure my hubby would love it. He loves coconut so I'm bookmarking this recipe! Have a lovely day, Joyce! :)

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  33. Eileen@Hundred Eighty DegreesSaturday, July 14, 2012

    Where's my share? They look delish..

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  34. Mmm..patutla hari tu i thot i smelled brownies! lol..syioknya.

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  35. I like the look of your brownies too, can see the checkered designs, I know I would like this brownies but too much work! lol!

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  36. Wow!! These brownies look heavenly…love that you add the coconut batter…I adore coconut!

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  37. Guess what recipe is being featured?

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