This week has been my (Tab) spring break.
I am literally going crazy with nothing to do.
So to solve this problem...I decided to bake today.
I looked at my recipe board on Pinterest... couldn't find anything that I wanted to make...so then I searched for half an hour for the perfect Thursday-afternoon-nothing-better-to-do dessert recipe.
And this is the recipe I found!
Sounded delicious... the pictures looked delicious...sold.
Then I thought, hey while I bake I could also spend some good quality time with the men while they waited for customers...it'd be a win win!
And that's when I realized...who am I kidding? That never happens ever.
:(
First I made the shortcake bottom as the oven was preheating to 350.
I mixed the cut up chunks of cold butter, flour, and powdered sugar.. and to look professional I used the pastry cutter.
And then a few minutes into it decided to use my hands instead.
Nothing better than a skilled pair of hands!
After it was all mixed and crumbly, I pressed it into a parchment paper lined pan (I used our 14x10 bars pan).
And then let it bake. The recipe says until light brown... but it never got light brown for me, just kind of puffy.
Then while that was baking, I made the brownie mix. The recipe calls for fudge brownie mix, plus 1/4 cup of hot fudge. Sounds like a whole lot of fudge.
After mixing it all up I took the shortbread crust out, poured the brownie mix in, and put it back in for around 26 minutes.
When the brownies were done and cooling, I made the last part - the coconut caramel topping.
I had to toast the coconut which concerned me at first... but it was pretty easy!
Just put the coconut in a pan on low-medium and stir until it's getting brownish.
Then add the caramel sauce and stir until mixed in and warm... and keep it warm until ready to put on the brownies.
Once heated and spread across the top of the brownies, drizzle chocolate on top of it.
Yum!
Shortbread Crust:
12 Tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cold and cut into cubes
3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Brownie Layer:
1 package fudge brownie mix
Water, oil, and eggs called for in the directions on the brownie box
1/4 cup hot fudge, unheated
Coconut Caramel Layer:
3 cups toasted coconut,
1 jar caramel topping (I used a little more than 1 cup)
Chocolate Drizzle:
Chocolate syrup or melted chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350. Combine all crust ingredients and cut with pastry knife, or mix with mixer until coarse pea-sized lumps form. Press evenly over the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish. Bake until lightly browned.
Meanwhile, prepare brownie batter according to package directions, adding 1/4 cup hot fudge ice cream topping, unheated and straight from the jar. Pour over shortbread crust and bake as directed, until a toothpick comes out nearly clean with only a few crumbs remaining.
When brownies are almost finished, scoop caramel topping into a heavy bottomed saucepan and heat over low until caramel is soft and easy to stir. Add toasted coconut and stir gently until evenly mixed.* If brownies are not quite finished, keep this warm, stirring occasionally. Keeping the coconut caramel mixture warm will help it to spread evenly without tearing brownies apart.
*I toasted the coconut first in the saucepan, and then just added the caramel and mixed it together until it was soft.
Pour coconut caramel mixture over brownies and gently spread evenly over the top.
Drizzle with chocolate
Cool in refrigerator for easy cutting.
