Averie Cooks

-1 Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8×8-inch pan with aluminum foil leaving overhang, spray with cooking spray; set aside. It’s mandatory to line your pan or you’ll never get the brownies out.
-1 In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the dark chocolate, butter, and heat on high power to melt, about 1 minute. Stop to check and stir. Reheat in 15-second bursts until mixture can be stirred smooth.
-1 Add the eggs, sugar, vanilla, optional coffee, optional espresso granules, and whisk until smooth. Coffee and espresso don’t make the brownies taste like coffee; they enhance the chocolate flavor.
-1 Add the flour and stir until just combined; don’t overmix.
-1 Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula and bake until brownies are just set and done, about 28 minutes in my oven. Start checking at 25 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Don’t overbake because brownies go back into the oven after they’re topped with coconut.
-1 While brownies are baking, in a large bowl (the same one you used for the brownies is fine, just wipe it clean with a paper towel) combine the coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and toss to coat evenly; set aside until brownies come out of oven.
-1 When brownies are done and removed from the oven, evenly top with the coconut mixture. Smooth the top lightly with a spatula, pushing mixture gentle into all corners.
-1 Evenly sprinkle with chocolate chips.
-1 Return pan to oven and bake for 5 minutes.
-1 Remove pan from oven and using a spatula, lightly smooth the chocolate chips. They will be have softened enough to smooth out when pressed lightly with a spatula.
-1 Place pan on a wire rack and allow to cool, undisturbed, for at least 2 to 3 hours, or until top chocolate layer has set; allowing to cool overnight is best.
-1 When ready to serve, lift brownies of pan using foil overhang, place on a large cutting board, and slice with your biggest and sharpest knife. Slicing is messy, but the longer brownies cool, the easier and less messy it is.