GERMAN CHOCOLATE BROWNIE BARS

Ok now.  My husband and I have never been brownie fans but THESE!!  Oh my word!!  Decadent, super moist but still firm, oh so chocolatey with that famous scrumptious German chocolate topping, this recipe will find itself a permanent place in your family cookbook.  Let me know what you think!

INGREDIENTS

Base:

• 5 tbsp butter, melted

• 1 1/4 cups sugar

• 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, cold

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

• 3/4 cup cocoa

• 1/2 cup flour

• 1/8 tsp baking soda

• 1 tbsp cornstarch

• 1/8 tsp salt

• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Topping:

• 3 large eggs

• 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

• 2/3 cup light corn syrup

• 1/4 cup butter, melted

• 1 cup chopped pecans

• 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

• 1/2 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 8 by 8-inch pan with foil or parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Arrange pecans in a single layer of a shallow baking pan. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Stir halfway through baking. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar for one minute. Whisk in the eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined. Stir in the oil and cocoa powder.

4. In a smaller bowl, blend the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt until combined. With a rubber spatula gently stir this mixture and the chocolate chips into the wet mixture just until combined.

5. Spread the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before adding the topping.

Topping:

1. In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Whisk in the brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla and melted butter until smooth. Stir in the coconut and toasted pecans. Pour evenly over the baked brownie base.

2. Bake 20 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the filling has set. If you like a raker caramized top, broil for 3 minutes watching carefully so it doesn’t scorch. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack before putting it in the refrigerator for an hour before cutting.

3. Brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.