Coconut Praline Brownies

By zircon50

These are undoubtedly fudgey, dense and uber moist brownies. They're topped with a slightly gooey layer of coconut and almond praline.

The key to making super fudgey and dense brownies is to avoid aerating the batter and to deflate ingredients that contain air. This is the reason for melting the butter.

I use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to make brownies. This minimizes air incorporation. That's a big deal.

Also, don't add any leavening agents. After all, the brownie originated from a cake recipe where the baking powder was neglected.

My last trick is to bake in a slightly cooler oven. I like to bake brownies at 325 degrees F so that even the edges stay moist. This also prevents the batter from souffle-ing, which would make the brownies lighter.

Ingredients

• FOR THE BROWNIES
• 3.5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa powder
• FOR THE TOPPING
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons water
• 2 oz. whole, lightly toasted almonds (see note below)
• 2.5 oz. (about 2/3 cups) sweetened, shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

Preparation

Step 1

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. To make the praline, spread sugar in a single layer in a small frying pan (or saucepan) over medium heat. Drizzle water over sugar, and cook it until it begins to bubble, swirling pan periodically for even heating. Continue to cook until sugar liquifies and turns golden amber. Remove from heat, and stir in toasted almonds. Pour onto prepared baking sheet, and flatten with silicone spatula. Let cool to room temperature, break into small pieces, and then pulse in a food processor until it resembles coarse bread crumbs.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2 inch overhang on each end. Place chocolate and butter in a large heat-proof bowl set over a pot with 1/2 inch of simmering water. Stir constantly until completely melted and smooth. Remove bowl from heat, stir in sugar and salt, let stand for 3 mins. Stir in vanilla extract. Stir in eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour and cocoa powder, and fold into chocolate mixture until batter is smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan, and refrigerate 10 mins. Remove pan from fridge, and sprinkle 3/4 praline mixture evenly in one layer over the batter. Sprinkle coconut in a single layer over the praline, and sprinkle the remaining praline over the top. Drizzle condensed milk evenly over the surface and bake until coconut is lightly toasted and golden brown, about 25 mins.

Let cool in pan on wire rack, at least 1 hour before cutting into squares. Drizzle tops with chocolate, if desired.
Refrigerate 2 hours for best results.

NOTE: To toast almonds, place them in a dry frying pan, in a single layer, over medium heat, shaking pan frequently, until fragrant and lightly browned, about 8 mins.