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Hungry Girl Por Vida

Crunchy Coconut & Macadamia Topped Brownies

July 21, 2011 by Leave a Comment

 I love chocolate, it’s no secret. I love baking with it, it’s always a crowd pleaser. I love it’s depth, color, fragrance…it’s all good.

Sean doesn’t just love chocolate…he LOVES it. He craves it. If he’s had a stressful day, he will seek it out. I always have a stash in the pantry for him, I even make a point to put it on my grocery list. If his chocolate stash is running low, he will break into my chocolate chips and baking bars. When he gets his fix, his eyes roll back, there’s drooling, and sometimes a little moaning.

He’s a downright, certifiable, choco-monster.

Knowing this about my dear husband, I do a lot of baking with chocolate. His favorite chocolate baked treat is probably a brownie. I’ve made endless different recipes in the past, but my go-to is Alice Medrich’s Best Cocoa Brownie, from her book Bittersweet. I feel it truly is the best cocoa brownie–chewy, rich, with a little bit of crust up top–seriously divine.

I don’t just love these brownies because they are delightful, but also because they come together quickly and use one bowl.

Less dishes, more brownies.

These are the joys of life.

Sean will take a plain, un-studded brownie any day. No complaints…but, he also loves a brownie with all kinds of mix-ins and goodness up in its business. This works well for both of us since I prefer brownies with stuff. I like a plain brownie, but I love a brownie with some other textures and maybe a little salt going on.

These brownies have it all.

Crunchy, toasty, sweet coconut, salty macadamias, and the faintest hint of spice.

Oh, goodness. These are so good.

I may have eaten just the tops of a few.

Luckily, Sean was around to eat the bottoms…since he’s so indiscriminate about brownies and all.

We’re a good pair.

Best Cocoa Brownies w/ Crunchy Coconut & Macadamia Topping

This is the fusion of 2 brownie recipes. The crunchy top of one, imposed onto the basic base of another. I have made these using the original recipe for Coconut-Pecan Crusted Brownies, but I like Alice’s Best Cocoa Brownie better for the base. I just do. It’s just my favorite. 

These brownies are only made better by using some primo cocoa powder. I use Valrhona, it is hands down my ever-favorite cocoa powder. I order it online and always have a stash of it. I have never purchased it from a grocery store, but an okay, grocery store subsitute is Hershey’s Special Dark…but, I have to say, there’s nothing like Valrhona cocoa powder. And, no, Valrhona does not pay me to wax poetic about their product…they don’t know me, I’m just a fiend for it ;) 

10 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup, plus 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder (natural or dutch process)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, cold

1/2 cup flour

Preheat oven to 325F. To make bar shaped brownies, prepare an 8×8 pan by greasing and lining with parchment. To make brownie bites, line a mini-muffin tin with liners (makes about 30 minis).

Fashion a double boiler out of a saucepan and a large, heatproof mixing bowl. Add butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt–stir to combine until butter is melted and the mixture feels hot to the touch. Set aside and allow to cool to just warm.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in vanilla, then, add eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition. Add flour and combine. Once flour is incorporated, continue to stir vigorously for about 40 strokes. Pour into a prepared 8×8 baking pan or into lined mini-muffins cups. Set aside and make the topping.

for the topping:

3/4 cup sweetened, shredded coconut

3/4 cup chopped, salted macadamia nuts (if you have unsalted ones, just add a pinch of salt)

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

pinch of pumpkin pie spice

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

In a medium bowl combine all of the ingredients for the topping until everything is moistened with the melted butter. Either sprinkle topping over the batter in a pan or, using a teaspoon, heap spoonfuls onto minis.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownie comes out with a few sticky crumbs, but is not wet.

Allow to cool on a wire rack before cutting/eating.


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Filed Under: brownies Tagged With: baking, brownie, chocolate, cocoa, coconut, macadamia nut, recipe

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Megan

    July 21, 2011 at 9:53 am

    Whoa, a brownie + toasted coconut sounds awesome! Maybe when it stops being a thousand degrees out and in I’ll make these one-bowl wonders.

    And you and Sean sure do sound like a match made in Willy Wonka’s Factory. Love it!

    Reply
    • cindy

      July 21, 2011 at 10:01 am

      seriously…i feel bad for you up in your super toasty (yet cute) little abode! just sit in front of that AC and daydream about brownies.

      Reply
  2. NicoleD

    July 21, 2011 at 9:55 am

    I adore Alice’s brownies, too. SO good. I like your additions and your cute little cups!

    Reply
    • cindy

      July 21, 2011 at 10:03 am

      thanks Nicole! Alice sure does know her way around a brownie!

      Reply
  3. Kocinera

    July 21, 2011 at 1:44 pm

    I love the coconut macadamia topping for these brownies! These days, I’ve completely fallen in love with all things coconut, so added to an already healthy chocolate obsession, these brownies totally hit the spot.

    Reply
    • cindy

      July 21, 2011 at 2:17 pm

      toasted coconut and chocolate are a pretty good match…second only to pb and chocolate, i think 🙂

      Reply
  4. Maris (In Good Taste)

    July 21, 2011 at 1:53 pm

    I’m with Sean. Chocolate is the best!

    Reply
    • cindy

      July 21, 2011 at 2:18 pm

      maris, sean would high five you for this comment!

      Reply
  5. juliana

    July 25, 2011 at 8:41 am

    OMG! they look soooo good!

    Reply
    • cindy

      July 25, 2011 at 9:09 am

      juliana, thank you! they were pretty awesome… i think toasted coconut is irresistable!

      Reply
  6. Rocio

    July 26, 2011 at 10:02 am

    Um. Just so you know, your blog is my new favorite. That is all 😀

    Reply
    • cindy

      July 26, 2011 at 10:05 am

      Um…that’s awesome! Thanks 😀 You totally made my day!

      Reply
  7. Neil Butterfield

    July 27, 2011 at 4:18 am

    Chocolate is one of the greatest mood foods known to man.

    Reply
    • cindy

      July 27, 2011 at 4:24 am

      Neil, it sure is. Well said!

      Reply
  8. tracy

    July 27, 2011 at 7:52 pm

    DANGEROUS!!!!!!!!!!!! I love how your top pic exploits two different types of cupcake vessels and a nude one!! hehe

    Reply
    • cindy

      July 28, 2011 at 4:23 am

      these were DANGER for sure! I ate that nude one right after I was done taking it’s picture…heh!

      Reply
  9. Jenny

    July 28, 2011 at 12:26 pm

    Your pics are really fantasticcooooo! And love the added typography. Makes me wanna make those brownies asap asap asap!!!

    Reply
    • cindy

      July 28, 2011 at 1:08 pm

      Jenny, thanks! You should make them and tell me all about it!

      Reply
  10. Brindi

    July 29, 2011 at 7:02 am

    Dang. These look good!

    Reply
    • cindy

      July 29, 2011 at 11:33 am

      Thanks Brindi!

      Reply
  11. Rhiannon {Hey Gorg}

    July 31, 2011 at 11:28 am

    Oh you are goooood. I’d like these please at my Greencard party. In little green cups maybe? These sound WAY too GOOD. xo

    Reply
    • cindy

      July 31, 2011 at 11:31 am

      Rhi, we could definitely work that out!

      Reply
  12. Amy

    August 20, 2014 at 4:59 am

    Just made these last night – I added a very ripe banana to the batter and whipped it up in my KitchenAid to make sure the sugar granules were dissolved. It was AMAZING!

    Reply
    • cindy

      August 21, 2014 at 8:37 am

      That sounds like an amazing addition!!

      Reply

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