Summer desserts — Kathleen Sanderson

Double Chocolate Brownies
10-12 Servings

Ingredients
8 ozs. Quality bitter or dark sweet chocolate
3 ozs. Unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sweet butter (2 sticks)
2 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 ½ cups chopped toasted pecans or walnuts
Procedure
Pre-heat oven 350 degrees F.

In a double boiler or microwave melt dark and unsweetened chocolate and butter. Stir to create a smooth mixture and cool slightly. (Microwave full power for 1 minute and then in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval).

Combine sugar, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add chocolate mixture and mix well. Add flour and salt and mix to just combine. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9x13x2-inch pan lined with buttered parchment and bake for 30-35 minutes or until knife comes clean.

Cool brownies 15 minutes in pan before turning onto a board to cut. Cool brownies completely before cutting into squares or triangles.

Hot Fudge Sauce
1 1/2 cups

Ingredients
8 ozs. Dark sweet or semi-sweet chocolate
1/2-cup heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla
Water as needed

Procedure

1. In a heavy saucepan combine; broken chocolate and cream, simmer on low until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla serve warm over ice cream with brownies. Add water if needed. Sauce will last 2-3 weeks refrigerated.

COCONUT KEY LIME PIE
Yield: Makes 8 servings

Ingredients
For crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
½ cup toasted coconut
¼ cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For filling
2x (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
6 large egg yolks
2/3 cup fresh or bottled Key lime juice

For topping
3/4 cup chilled heavy cream
½ cup toasted coconut
Procedure
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Make crust: Stir together graham cracker crumbs, coconut, mixed sugar, and butter in a bowl with a fork until combined well, then press mixture evenly onto bottom and up side of a 9-inch spring form pan. Bake crust in middle of oven 10 minutes and cool in pie plate on a rack. Leave oven on.
Make filling and bake pie: Whisk together condensed milk and yolks in a bowl until combined well. Add juice and whisk until combined well (mixture will thicken slightly). Pour filling into crust and bake in middle of oven 15 minutes. Cool pie completely on rack (filling will set as it cools), then chill, covered, at least 8 hours.
Make topping:
Just before serving, beat cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Serve pie topped with cream and sprinkle with coconut.