Double Chocolate Almond Joy Brownie Bars

Once upon a time - there was a delicious decadent brownie that fell in love with an even tastier almond joy and it was a match made in Heaven!

Trust me when I say that these bars are TO. DIE. FOR .  They very well might rank in the top three best things I've ever made.

For all the almond joy/coconut/brownie lovers out there - run to your local grocery store and stock up on these ingredients.  Making these ASAP will be the best decision you'll ever make!  I pinky promise that you will NOT be disappointed.

[Recipe adapted from my homemade brownie recipe]

Serves 12-16

3/4 cup butter, melted (1.5 sticks) 1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (1 and 1/2 tsp for brownies, 1/2 tsp for coconut mixture) 2 eggs 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I prefer Hershey's) 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 Hershey's special dark extra-large (4.25 ounce) candy bars (you can also use milk chocolate if you prefer) 14 ounces shredded sweetened coconut 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk 1/4 cup almonds Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray an 8x8 or 9x9  inch square pan generously with non-stick cooking spray.  You can also use parchment paper or foil to line pan but also spray generously with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl - blend melted butter, sugar and vanilla.  Once well combined, beat in eggs one at a time.  In a separate bowl, combine - flour, cocoa and salt.  Slowly blend cocoa flour mixture into egg mixture.  Set aside. Combine coconut, sweetened condensed milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in bowl and combine.

Now the fun part starts!

Spread half of the brownie batter into prepared pan.  Unwrap chocolate bars and place side by side on top of brownie mixture.  Gently place coconut mixture on top of  chocolate bars and press down gently until even.  Distribute almonds on top of coconut mixture.  Place the remaining half of the brownie mixture on top and spread evenly.

Bake for 55 - 65 minutes.  Cooking time for these brownies is tricky.  You want to make sure the top layer cooks but the bottom layer does not burn - this is why I like to use a glass pyrex baking dish so I can gauge how they look on the outside as well as the inside.  The edges will be crisp but that makes them even more delicious.  You can insert a toothpick into the top layer of brownie to see if they need to be cooked longer.

Once fully cooked, cool completely on wire rack.  Refrigerate 3-4 hours or overnight before cutting.  I find that a pastry cutter is the best tool to cut these into bars.  You can also use a very sharp thick knife.  Enjoy!

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