German Chocolate Brownies

  Hey, I made you a treat for the 4th of July. Really patriotic. Since it's... German. Heh.

Really though, German chocolate cake isn't even named after Germany, but after an American dude named German who made up a brand of chocolate and called it "German's Chocolate". I know, it's too confusing. Just stop trying to understand and trust me. This is an all-American dessert.



So I thought I was being really original with these brownies. I was taking them to my cousin's graduation party. I was like, "Oh instead of that awesome pecan coconut frosting on a boring, old cake, how about putting it on a big, fat brownie! And then I'll put a little swirl of frosting and a pecan on top! It's never been done before! Everyone will think I'm so cool!"

Stopped at the Bavarian Inn in Frankenmuth on the way back from the party, and this is what I saw.


HOW DID THEY KNOW ABOUT THIS? I hadn't even loaded my pictures onto my computer yet. There is a spy among us. I'm going to interrogate everyone in my family and find out who gave away my secrets.

But seriously, $1.99 each? I COULD BE RICH. What do I have to do, trademark all my recipes? Sheesh. Besides, mine looked way better anyways. Hmph.

So, this is simple. Just my regular old brownies with that easy peasy coconut pecan frosting, and a dollop of some easy peasy chocolate frosting on top if you wish. All you do to make that beautiful, caramely coconut pecan frosting is throw all the ingredients in a pot and stir it up until it start to boil, throw in some coconut and pecans and say good day.

Oh, and please, PLEASE toast the pecans a little first. It's so easy and it brings out the flavor so much more. I do it on the stove.

And don't stir them like this or everyone will freak out.

"Yammie! Stop! YOU'RE GOING TO FRY YOUR FINGERS OFF."

Shut up, fools. I know what I'm doing.

Anyways, now we're up at Gramps and Beanie's cottage on the lake for the Fourth, my favorite place on the planet. Here's a picture of me jet skiing. 

I actually posted this picture last 4th of July, but I haven't changed much since then, so what the heck.

By the way, Boots said that he used to think the horizon was was a giant waterfall, all the way across. That's why he wouldn't let us take him out on the jet skis more than two feet from the shore. I wouldn't either if there was a giant waterfall sucking me into Canada. Freaky.

German Chocolate Brownies

Brownies (from my Best Fudge Brownies):
2 sticks of butter
2 1/4 cups of sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups of cocoa powder (I used dark cocoa powder this time)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups chocolate chips

Grease a 9x13 in. pan. and preheat the oven to 350º.
Mix together the butter and sugar in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in the microwave, stirring about every 30 seconds, until the mixture is bubbly and smooth (you can also do it on the stove top if you want). Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. Mix together the cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and flour and add to the butter mixture, mixing until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for about 28 minutes.

Coconut Pecan Frosting:
Adapted from Joy of Baking
1 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups coconut
1 1/2 cups pecans, roughly broken or chopped

Lightly toast the pecans in a large pan on the stove.
In a pot, beat together the sugar, milk, yolks, and butter. Cook, stirring constantly just until it begins to bubble and thicken. Remove from heat. Add vanilla, coconut, and chopped pecans.

Chocolate Frosting (optional):
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cocoa powder
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream (or milk if you're boring)
1 teaspoon vanilla
(more whole toasted pecans for decorating)

Beat the butter and cocoa together, alternately add the cream and sugar, beginning and ending with the cream. Add more cream or powdered sugar if necessary for consistency. Mix in the vanilla.

Assembly:
I didn't bother with letting the frosting or the brownies cool completely before frosting them. I just dumped it on and threw them in the fridge. The frosting with harden and is cools. I kept them in there overnight, but that's not necessarily necessary. In the morning, I lifted the entire thing out of the pan with a spatula (it's a pretty sturdy old block of chocolate, my friends. Just make sure you run a knife around the edge first). Then I cut them with a big knife on a cutting board. Don't worry though, you can cut them like normal brownies if you want. That's just how I got such straight edges. Pipe a little chocolate frosting on each one and top it with a pecan if you want. The end.

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