hurra! (chinet giveaway nummer vier)

Did I ever mention that I'm trying to teach myself German? It's true. I mean...es ist wahr.

I'm using a program called Duolingo, and I really recommend it, though you do need to be particularly motivated to learn. It takes some real dedication to sit down and study something of your own unsupervised accord, believe me.

As I've mentioned before, German chocolate doesn't have anything to do with Germany, but I chose to ignore that teensy tiny detail for the purposes of this series of posts. What I've made in my 9x13-inch piece of Chinet Bakeware® is just a regular batch of brownies topped with the filling of a traditional German chocolate cake. To me, that filling is the very best part of the cake, and here, it takes a simple brownie from tasty but boring to decadent and exciting.

Though I've been super pleased with my Chinet Bakeware®, I have to confess to one minor frustration: I have trouble getting the lids to fit snugly, so much so that I've just resorted to covering the food with plastic wrap. It's entirely possible that I'm missing a simple trick, but if not, consider this your fair warning.

If you want a final chance to try out this still-fantastic Chinet Bakeware® for yourself, leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite kind of chocolate. If your comment is randomly picked, you'll win a full set of pans! I'll leave the comments open for a week and close them next Monday, October 21st. Viel Glück!

Deutsch Schokoladenkuchen
Makes 12 large bars
Ingredients:
Brownies:

• 6 ounces butter
• 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup pecan pieces

Frosting:

• 1 cup pecans
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
First, make the frosting: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Remove from oven and cool.
In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, milk, egg yolks, butter, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, and when the mixture begins to boil and thicken, remove from heat (about 5 minutes). Stir in the chopped pecans, coconut, and vanilla extract. Let cool until spreadable (about 30-60 minutes).
Meanwhile, make the brownies: Grease a 13x9-inch pan. In a medium saucepan (or in the microwave), melt together the butter and unsweetened chocolate. Whisk until smooth, then let cool for a few minutes. Whisk in the sugars and blend well. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Fold in the flour, salt, and pecans, then pour into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven 40-45 minutes, or until edges are beginning to harden. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
To assemble, simply slather the frosting onto the cooled brownies, then slice and serve!



Disclosure: While Chinet did provide me with a stipend and their terrific bakeware free of charge, the opinions in this post are all mine. While I'm apparently totally bribable, it wasn't necessary here.