If you cross coconut, pecans, and chocolate, what do you get?  I don't know, but if you combine those, you get the dessert affectionately called German Chocolate, originally called German's chocolate cake, after Samuel German. 

This recipe is not a cake, but in fact brownies. German chocolate brownies. One of my favorite things about this recipe is the homemade coconut pecan frosting. I hadn’t made it homemade before, but after realizing just how easy it is and DELICIOUS, it seemed silly to ever buy it again! I hope it wins you over, too.

Now if you’re wondering where German Chocolate came from…

It might not be what you think. The original cake was not invented in Germany nor was Mr. German German.  Ach du lieber.  He was an English-American who worked for Baker's Chocolate Company (their chocolate is still in circulation and used in this recipe!) who developed a dark baking chocolate that was named after him.  Eventually a recipe came out featuring Mr. German's chocolate in a recipe called "Baker's German's Chocolate Cake."  I think you can probably see how the name morphed from there. And apparently June 11 is National German Chocolate Day in America.

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Recipe adapted from Creations by Kara

German Chocolate Brownies

Serves about 12

Ingredients:

For the German Chocolate Brownies

• 3/4 cup / 168g oil

• 2 cups / 400g sugar

• 2 tsp / 10g vanilla extract

• 3 eggs

• 4 oz / 113g Baker's German Chocolate, melted and cooled

• 1 cup / 120g flour

• 2/3 cup / 67g cocoa

• 1/2 tsp salt

For the Coconut Pecan Frosting

• 1 cup / 262g evaporated milk, make your own here!

• 3 egg yolks

• 1 cup / 200g brown sugar

• 1/2 cup 113g butter

• 1 tsp / 5g vanilla

• 1 1/2 cups / 120g flaked coconut

• 1 cup / 125g chopped pecans

Directions:

Make the German Chocolate Brownies

Oven 350°F / 177°C Grease a 9x13in / 23x33cm pan

1. In a large bowl, beat together oil, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. 

2. Add cooled chocolate.  Stir in flour, cocoa, and salt.  Pour and spread into prepared 9x13 pan. 

3. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted off center comes out mostly clean. Brownies like to be slightly under baked. Let cool.

Make the Coconut Pecan Frosting

1. Whisk together milk, yolks, and sugar in a medium saucepan.  Add butter and place over medium heat, stirring until mixture becomes thick, approximately 10-12 minutes. 

2. Remove from heat and add vanilla, coconut, and pecans.  Cool until spreadable. 

3. Spread frosting evenly over brownies. Slice and enjoy. 

Jenny's Notes:

• I'll let you in on a little secret.  You can make this recipe with regular milk, if you don’t have evaporated milk. I recommend you do, but I have done without!