Coconut Swirl Brownies

The more I make brownies from scratch the more I love them. It's like you can taste each ingredient, especially the chocolate and butter. Mmm, chocolate. Butter. Drool.

A few weeks ago I went on a little chocolate-coconut binge. I had three occasions on three consecutive days - a neighborhood barbecue, my sister's family coming to visit, and dinner at a friend's house. Naturally I made dessert for all three, and just for myself, went with a theme.

Brownies travel well, sit out well even in heat, and do great being eaten with hands at a picnic. And I have yet to meet a recipe calling for sweetened condensed milk that I didn't like.

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for pan

3/4 cup plus 1 T sugar

1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 large egg white

2 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

4 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp coarse salt

3 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a buttered 8-inch square baking pan with parchment, allowing 2 inch overhang. Butter lining (not overhang.)

2. Stir together 1 T of sugar, the condensed milk, coconut, egg white, and 1/4 tsp of the vanilla in a bowl.

3. Put butter and both chocolates in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; stir until melted. Let cool slightly.

4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

5. Whisk remaining 3/4 cup sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs; whisk until mixture is smooth. Stir in remaining 2 tsp vanilla. Add flour mixture; stir until well combined.

6. Pour one-third of chocolate batter into prepared pan. Spread evenly with an offset spatula. Drop dollops of coconut mixture on top of batter, spacing about 1 inch apart. Drizzle remaining batter on top, and gently spread to fill pan. Drop dollops of remaining coconut mixture on top.

7. Gently swirl coconut mixture into batter with a butter knife, running the knife lengthwise and crosswise through layers. Bake until a cake tester inserted into brownies comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Lift out; let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares. Brownies can be stored between layers of parchment in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days. Makes about 9 large or 16 smallRecipe from Martha Stewart's Cookies