Easter is one of my favorite holidays. When I was growing up Easter was centered around church and family. It’s a special holiday with many customs and traditions. My dad was a pastor and we always started the day early at sunrise service. We would end up at my grandparents house for a big meal, posing for pictures in our new dresses or ties, and shiny new shoes, then off to hunt Easter eggs with my cousins.
As an adult, sunrise service is my favorite part of the day. I enjoy spending time with family and friends and I enjoy the good food and the swapping of recipes. However, the spiritual meaning of Easter sunrise service is what it’s all about. It was in the early morning, when it was yet dark, that the tomb was found empty. Watching the sun rise and knowing what that empty tomb means for me humbles me.
As you make your Easter plans, I want to share a delicious and easy brownie recipe. These brownies would be great on any Easter table. They are chewy and fudgy and the coconut cream cheese frosting is the “icing on the cake”…yum, yum, yummy!
My one dilemma was to toast or not to toast. If you look closely at my photo you may wonder if I toasted the coconut for the topping. The original recipe from alaskafromscratch.com suggests toasting, and that’s what I started to do…until I changed my mind! It was already in the oven when I decided that I did not want toasted coconut on top, so do what makes you happy. For a fun Easter decoration, color the coconut green. Place the coconut in a zip-lock bag with a drop or two of green food coloring, seal, then shake until evenly colored. Sprinkle on top of your brownies before cutting. Then, decorate each brownie with 3 jelly beans, if desired.
As always, thanks for taking the time out of your busy day to read Not Just Sunday Dinner. I am wishing you a blessed Easter with family and friends.
- ⅔ c. unsalted butter, melted
- 2 lg. eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. coconut extract
- 2 c. sugar
- 1⅓ c. all-purpose flour
- ¾ c. cocoa powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ c. strong brewed coffee
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 13-inch plan with aluminum foil, allowing enough foil to hang over the sides of the pan to use to lift brownies from pan later. Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a mixing bowl, add the butter, eggs, extracts, and sugar. Whisk until smooth.
- In another bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to incorporate. Pour in the coffee and mix just until combined.
- Spread batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or just until set in the center. Watch closely and do not over bake.
- Cool on a wire rack. When cooled, top with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting.
- ½ c. unsalted butter, softened
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- ½ tsp. coconut extract
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 c. powdered sugar
- ¾ c. shredded coconut (toasted optional)
- Combine butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add extracts. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until incorporated, scraping sides and bottom of bowl as needed.
- Spread evenly over cooled brownies. Top with shredded coconut.
- Freeze for 1 hour before lifting brownies from pan and cutting. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature.
