Toasted Coconut Frosted Brownies

Delightfully fudgy brownies smeared with coconut cream cheese frosting and topped with crisp, golden toasted coconut. Brownies adapted from [Recipe Girl|http://www.recipegirl.com/2013/11/11/fudgy-frosted-brownies/].

Yields: 24 brownies

Ingredients

For the Brownies:
2/3 cup salted butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
2 cups sugar
1 1/3 cups flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa (I used Dutch processed)
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup brewed coffee (or water)
For the Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting:
½ cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ teaspoon coconut extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
For Topping:
¾ cup toasted shredded coconut

Instructions

To make the brownies: Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil, allowing enough foil to hang over the sides of the pan (you will use this later to lift the chilled brownies out of the pan to slice). Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray.

To a mixing bowl, add the butter, eggs, extracts, and sugar. Whisk until smooth. In another bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until incorporated. Pour in the coffee (or water) and mix until it all comes together as a fudgy batter. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until just set in the center. Be careful not to over bake; you want these to be fudgy. Cool the brownies on a wire rack. Place the pan into the freezer to chill while you make the frosting.

For the frosting: To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, cream cheese, and extracts. Beat until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating on low speed, until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Remove the brownies from the freezer and spread evenly with the frosting. Sprinkle the top of the frosted brownies with toasted coconut. Return the pan to the freezer for at least an hour before lifting the brownies out of the pan and slicing into squares with a long, sharp knife. Keep brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator.