Secret Recipe Club: Mounds Brownies

Happy Labor Day to you!! Hopefully you are enjoying a day off from work, basking in the last day of summer. And what better way to enjoy the last summer holiday than with a decadent, chocolatey dessert??

For this month's Secret Recipe Club, I received the blog Baking and Boys. With four boys between the ages of 5 and 14, and a husband, I don't know how Katrina keeps her sanity!! That is a lot of testosterone in one house. I'm guessing that here ability to keep delicious baked goods in the house helps. Whether it's for bribery to keep the peace, or to indulge for her own sanity's sake...I'd love to be her helper in the kitchen!!

I knew as soon as I saw these brownies, that they were perfect for me. I love Mounds candy bars, and I love brownies, so the opportunity to combine those loves...yes, please!! And I was not disappointed. They were absolutely delectable. Dangerously delectable. Dark chocolate brownies laced with sweet coconut. Yes, quite the perfect way to say goodbye to summer.

Thanks to Katrina for a great recipe, and make sure you stop by her blog to see all the other goodies she has!

Mounds Brownies
Source: Baking and Boys

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup regular cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder 
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups shredded, sweetened coconut
• pinch of salt
• 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (I used fat free)

Preparation 

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line an 8x8 baking pan with foil so the edges hang over the sides of the pan a little. Spray lightly with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and cocoa powders over low heat, stirring until well combined and smooth. Remove from heat and let sit five minutes to cool slightly.
3. Add the eggs to the cocoa/butter mixture and whisk until combined, then add in the sugar and vanilla, stirring to combine. Finally, add the flour and salt and whisk until combined.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the coconut with the condensed milk and salt. 
5. Pour about half the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Drop the coconut mixture by the spoonfuls over the brownie batter and then pour the remaining brownie batter over the top, covering the coconut layer. 
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Let cool completely on wire rack.
7. Chill in refrigerator for a couple hours and cut into desired size pieces. If you are too eager to eat them, you don't have to chill, it just helps firm them up and make them a bit more fudgey.