TOASTED COCONUT & CARAMEL TOPPED BROWNIES-just like your favorite girlscout cookie!!!

You know those delicious coconut girl scout cookies everyone loves? Well, here is  a twist!!!! That same awesome topping on a brownie!!!

Brownie recipe: 4 eggs
1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon (3 teaspoons) vanilla extract  
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 1/4 cups sugar  
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 and line 9"x13" pan with nonstick foil. In a large bowl, add 4 eggs, and beat with cocoa, salt, baking powder, and vanilla. Stir until fully combined and smooth. In the microwave, melt butter. When melted, add sugar, and stir to combine. Add warm butter/sugar mixture to the egg/cocoa mixture, stiring until smooth. Add the flour to batter and stir until fully incorporated. Spread batter into prepared pan, and smooth as needed. Bake brownies about 30 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick.  You should find moist crumbs. Cool just a bit and spread topping on while still warm.  Cool and cut.  Add a chocolate drizzle if desired using melted chocolate chips.

Toasted Coconut Girl Scout Topping!
2 cups shredded sweetened coconut 
8 oz. caramels
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
Preheat oven to 300 degrees and spread coconut on a baking sheet. Bake it and toss often until lightly toasted and golden -about 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Place caramels and cream in microwave safe cup and heat until melted and smooth. When smooth, stir in the toasted coconut.
 

TOASTED COCONUT THUMBPRINTS FILLED WITH DULCE DE LECHE AND A CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, slightly firm

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup dark brown sugar

2 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large egg whites for coating, beaten until frothy

Toasted coconut, crumbled and in a shallow bowl (cook carefully on a pan at 350 till browned)

Dulce de leche for centers (Nestle sells a can and I put it in a piping bag)

Melted milk or dark chocolate for piping

1.    In the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter on medium-low speed until smooth.  Pour in the sugars and mix just until incorporated.  Add the egg yolks and vanilla, mixing only until blended.  Add flour and salt.

2.    Roll the dough into small balls.  Dip into frothy egg whites then roll in toasted coconut.  Using the handle end of a wooden spoon, make an indentation in the center of the dough ball.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Chill until firm, at least an hour, or place in freezer bags and freeze until needed.

3.    When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F.  Place cookies evenly apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper and bake until lightly golden, about 14-15 minutes.  Remove from oven.  If indentations are no longer as pronounced, gently re-impress them with the rounded side of a ½ teaspoon measure.

4.     Let cool completely.  When cookies are cooled, fill indentations with dulce de leche.  Pipe melted chocolate over cookie.

Adapted from the Pastry Chef's Baking