I've been thinking about coconut a lot lately, for no apparent reason. I haven't been using it very often and it clearly needed to make a comeback. The key to using coconut is toasting it first. It completely changes the game, turning coconut from a sweet, slightly dry, tropical ingredient into something deep and nutty. It brings out its inherent sweetness and add a richness to the flavor that will turn coconut haters into believers. I already had the oven on 375°F. for cookies so I toasted it at that temperature for 7 minutes, rotating the pan and stirring the coconut after 5 minutes. It wasn't quite as dark as I like it but I wasn't taking any chances at the the higher temperature. Roasting at 300°F. takes a little bit longer, maybe 10-12 minutes but you can take it right up to the edge of darkness for the best possible toasted coconut flavor.
These blondies are decadent. I used a combination of milk chocolate, bittersweet chocolate and candied Heath bar chips in mine. You can use any combination that you prefer. I was briefly tempted by Snickers bar bites but I wanted to give the coconut more of an opportunity to shine so I left out the peanuts. I used my brownie pan; you can also use an 8"square pan with equally good results.
Toasted Coconut Triple Chip Blondies
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (I used finely shredded organic coconut)
4 ounces unsalted butter, diced
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup mixed chips, any 3 varieties of your choice
Preheat oven to 300°F.
Butter a brownie pan or 8"-square baking dish and reserve.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and spread out the coconut. Bake for 7 minutes, stir the coconut and bake for another 3-5 minutes until the coconut is a deep, golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool at room temperature.
Put the butter in a medium saucepan set over medium heat and melt completely. Remove from heat and add sugar and salt. Stir to blend and let cool slightly, 5-10 minutes.
Add the beaten egg and vanilla and stir to blend well. The mixture will form a smooth paste. Add the reserved coconut, flour and baking powder and stir to blend. Give the batter 50 stroked by hand to mix well and develop texture. The batter will become smooth and shiny. Add the chips and mix to blend. Pour into the prepared pan and tilt the pan to spread the batter evenly from edge to edge and corner to corner. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cakes is just set and a cake tester pressed into the center comes out clean.
Cool completely, or for at least 30 minutes before serving.
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