Bounty Brownies

Howdy folks! Spring has sprung! We finally have a bit more light in the mornings and evenings and we still have a couple more days until daylight savings robs us of an hours sleep (which you'll know if you have young kids is a cruel price to pay for the extra daylight). You may have seen on my Instagram that Mr R is away and Wee Man has the chicken pox. He's over the worst of it now, Day 5 was particularly rough, and to top it off he has a molar coming through. Individually it wouldn't be so bad but, factor in that I am dealing with all the night and early morning wake ups too, cumulatively it kinda sucks. How ever if you look on the bright side - I have the bed to myself (or rather I only have to share it with the cats), I have full control of the TV remote (as long as I keep it hidden from Wee Man who is a demon for it), I can work on my Food Composed course in the evenings after Wee Man is asleep without feeling guilty I am missing out on time with Mr R and I can cook up all the things that Mr R is not so keen on (ie. veggies!). Silver linings folks!! You have got to try and look for them.

I have a plan to go foraging for some wild garlic this weekend. Last year I saw some growing in Vondelpark, which we are fortunate to live in walking distance of, and I am hoping it's growing in the same places this year. I remember walking past with one friend and pointing it out and she asked me how I knew what it was and I just looked at her and said 'can't you smell it?'. Wild garlic grows in many woodlands and likes shady damp areas - not surprising it like Amsterdam! Please be sure you know what you are looking for if you go foraging - wild garlic can be easily mistaken for Lily of the Valley which is very poisonous so please be careful and if you are not 100% sure don't eat it!!
Keep your fingers crossed for some sunny weather so we can get out and soak up some of the vitamin D we have been lacking this winter!!

This recipe was something I thought up whilst talking to a friend. She had just made brownies with mini Snickers mixed in and topped with nuts. It got me thinking, instead of just putting chocolate bars into the brownies - What other chocolate bars could you actually make in to brownies?!
The little cogs in my head started turning and one of the first things that came to mind was a Bounty. I once read that a Bounty was often the chocolate left last from a box of Celebrations which I think is madness (read the article here) personally whenever we've had tins of Celebrations the last ones left are Mars Bars - too sickly sweet in my opinion, I can only eat them if they've been in the fridge. These brownies are set to change your mind if you are not a lover of chocolate and coconut. They have had resounding thumbs up across the board from everyone who has tried one and then quickly gone back for a second!

This recipe is a mash up of two of my recipes, which together form one super brownie. It is my go to, never fail, chocolate brownie recipe combined with the coconut layer from my Coco-Loco Bars which you can find by scrolling back to my early posts or alternatively click here. It is super simple, just two ingredients, but it is the perfect sweet, sticky, chewy counterpart to the rich chocolatey brownie. One ingredient is coconut, obviously, but the other is condensed milk. I think I am becoming a bit obsessed with the stuff. Not only does it work for these brownies giving the perfect amount of sweet creaminess but it levels up your iced coffee (click here for my recipe), you can cook it down to make your own dulce de leche and you can use it to make the most delicious buttercream. I almost always have a tin in my store cupboard now incase the recipe I'm working on calls for it.

I personally like keeping these in the fridge as it gives them a little more bite. The chocolate on the top becomes a sweet cap you bite your way through to get to the fudgey brownie and soft coconut beneath but they are just as delicious at room temperature. They will keep for around a week in an airtight container but these became like crack in our house and you'd find yourself sneaking to the fridge for just one more bite like Nigella Lawson at the end of her cooking shows, except this was far less scripted and far more conspiratorial.

If you try these or any of my recipes tag me in your pictures and use the hashtag #cooknoevil I would love to see your bakes!

BOUNTY BROWNIES
Makes 15

Ingredients

Brownie
185g Butter
185g Dark Chocolate
225g Caster Sugar
4 Large Eggs
75g Plain Flour
25g Cocoa
1/8 tsp Salt

Coconut Layer
397g Condensed Milk
160g Desiccated Coconut

Topping
200g Milk Chocolate
Chocolate Sprinkles
Coconut Shavings

• Preheat your oven to 180°c and grease and line a deep baking tray
• Place the butter and chocolate in a heat proof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water to melt. Once melted set to one side as you don't want it to be hot when you combine it with the other ingredients.
• Whisk together the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. You should be able to drizzle a figure 8 and it hold for a couple of seconds.
• Pour the cooled chocolate and butter into the whisked eggs and sugar and fold in gently by hand with a spatula. Once combined sift in the dry ingredients and again fold in gently until just combined.
• Pour the brownie batter into your lined tray and spread it evenly. Place in the centre of the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes.
• Whilst the brownie bakes mix the condensed milk and coconut together in a heatproof bowl and place over the pan of water you used for the chocolate and butter. This helps to warm the mixture so it is easy to spread.
• Remove the brownie from the oven and pour over the coconut mixture spreading it out in an even layer right up to the edges and into the corners. 
• Place back into the centre of the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes until the top of the coconut is lightly golden
• Remove the brownie and allow to cool completely.
• When the brownie is cool melt 150g of the milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Once it has melted remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 50g of chocolate until it has melted and and is smooth and shiny.
• Pour the chocolate over the coconut layer and spread evenly. Decorate with chocolate sprinkles and coconut shavings and place in the fridge to harden.
• When the chocolate has set cut the brownie into 15 pieces and enjoy.
• If you have any left this brownie will keep well in the fridge or in an airtight container for around a week.

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