About six weeks ago, my husband and I decided to swear off sugar six days a week. I won't lie and say it's been easy and I won't lie and say that I don't look forward to my "sugar day" all week long. (Click here if you want to find out more about our sugar quest). But on the upside, since we're only eating sweets once a week the quality of our desserts has improved. I'd been eying the recipe for these macaroon brownies for ages, but always put it off thinking it would take too long to make. Well, this past Sunday was the day to try it out! They weren't near as time consuming as I thought they'd be (only about 30 minutes in actual labor plus the baking time) and the end product was well worth the effort. The brownies were thick and fudgy, the macaroon filling made it taste a little like a Mounds bar, and the fudgy frosting was just to-die-for! Yum-o-licious!!!!
Click here for printable recipe.
The ingredients:
BROWNIES:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar (I didn't have any, and they still turned out great)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
MACAROON FILLING:
1 package (14-oz.) flaked coconut
1 can (14-oz.) sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
FROSTING:
3/4 cup sugar1/4 cup milk
2 Tbs. butter
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS: In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, cocoa, and cream of tartar; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in nuts (if desired). Spread half the batter into a greased 13x9" baking pan.
For filling, combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla;
carefully spread over batter in pan. Top with the remaining batter.
Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
For frosting, combine the sugar, milk and butter in a saucepan; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add the marshmallows and chocolate chips; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla.
Cool until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Spread over the cooled brownies. Cut into 24 bars.
Enjoy!
