Tomorrow is German Chocolate Cake Day! I haven’t had it in a few years, but there is nothing like a perfectly moist German chocolate cake slathered in that buttery, gooey, rich, coconut topping. Since I made this a day early, and for my daughter’s school advancement ceremony, I figured I’d do something a little different and try a brownie version. I found the recipe on Cook’s Country and it seemed pretty straight-forward. But, in the end, while a sweet treat that some people liked, these were kind of disappointing as it didn't live up to the real-deal. The 3 layers were pretty distinct. The joy of a good German chocolate cake is that everything melds together in harmony. The shortcut butterscotch chips were not a choice substitute for the depth-of-flavor found in the typically rich buttery and mildly sweet frosting. Even my youngest daughter thought it was too cloyingly sweet. Next year, I will make a real-deal German chocolate cake. But for now, below is a shortcut recipe for (not really) German chocolate brownies.
(Not Really) German Chocolate Brownies from Cook’s Country
3 oz baker’s chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 stick of butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup of sugar
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
⅔ cup AP flour
½ cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup butterscotch chips
Line an 8” square baking dish with foil overlapping 2 sides. Spray the foil with cooking spray.
Place the chocolate and butter in a bowl and melt in the microwave, about 90 seconds, stirring twice. Reserve.
While the choco-butter mix cools, whisk together the sugar, baking powder, salt, eggs and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl for about 30 seconds. Then, stir in the flour, until fully incorporated. Pour the cake mix into the prepared baking dish and place in the oven, until an inserted toothpick comes out nearly clean, about 30 minutes.
While the brownie bakes, toast the coconut in a non-stick pan over medium heat, stirring nearly constantly, for about 7 minutes. Remove the lightly toasted coconut from the pan and let cool.
When the cake is done, remove from the oven and top with the butterscotch chips and let sit for 5 minutes. Using a butter knife, or offset spatula, spread the melty chips across the surface of the brownie until smooth. Top with the toasted coconut and place the baking dish on a wire rack to fully cool, about 3 hours.
When ready to serve, use the overlapped foil to pick the brownie mass up and out of the baking pan. Slice into squares and serve.
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