Brownie points

Recipe: Coconut fudge brownies

Source: Cook This Now by Melissa Clark

Tasting notes: fudgy, decadent, truffle-like

Other details:

• The reason for the brownie: A birthday cocktail party, scheduled for a Friday night at my house.
• What the brownie was supposed to be, originally: Chocolate cake. The recipe, by David Lebovitz, was subtitled "Chocolate Idiot Cake," because it was supposedly "so easy you have to be an idiot to mess it up." (Link to that recipe here) Let's just say it had been a long week by the time Thursday night, the night in which I planned to do everything for the aforementioned party, had rolled around, and visions of layer cakes or cream pies now seemed ridiculous. This cake would be more my speed, and the type of thing that was sure to be delicious with little effort. Things were going well until I plunged the spring-form full of batter into the water bath before placing it in the oven, per the instructions, without ensuring that the pan was water tight. Water leaked into the pan and spoiled what would have been a perfectly lovely, mousse-like cake. Next scenes: 
• Me dumping water-logged chocolate down the drain, trying to keep tears from falling as I groaned about being the idiot who ruined the Idiot Cake.
• Joel entering the kitchen as I clean the remaining bits of chocolate from the pan to share in my sadness and frustration. 
• Me declaring, as calmly as I could, "Screw it. I'm just buying a damn cake." But a nice cake from a reputable bakery would surely be more money than I felt I could afford at that point. I'd already spent a pretty penny to host this party, and the more I thought about it, the more I felt I could try again.
• How it became a brownie...: I didn't have all the ingredients to make the same cake a second time, nor did I feel like it at that point (I still love you, Lebovitz, but damn your recipe titles). Then I remembered I'd flagged the Melissa Clark brownie recipe awhile back and recalled how my birthday friend loves coconut and coconut oil, and fortunately I had everything on hand. I started again.
• ...and then, tragically didn't: Water was my nemesis again. This time I added too much to the batter and realized it when flour islands were floating in a chocolate sea. I can't remember a time I had such an identity crisis in the kitchen. This is prompted much swearing, crying, and other behaviors that are very unflattering. I gave up my post after dumping everything either down the drain or in the trash, mustering just enough energy to wash the dishes, after Joel tried to console she who could/would not be consoled. I went to bed.
• The labor of love: It's a wonder what a night of fitful sleep can do. I awoke Friday morning with new resolve. Yes, I had to go to the office, but perhaps I could explain the whole silly situation (because I could see that it was just a little tiny bit silly, after all) to my boss and she would graciously let me go home early. I did just that; my boss and I laughed and I was given the afternoon to prepare for this party. I returned to my desk to start wrapping things up, and not ten minutes later did I receive a text message from Joel. It was a photo of a pan of brownies covered in golden coconut. Yes, he made the brownies. He who had never baked anything in the time I've known him had decided the night before that he would dare to take on this challenge for the sake of my happiness. Not only did he make my day easier, but he humbled my heart, made me teary and speechless and grateful for his partnership.

There's a theory in my world that things taste better when someone else makes it. To eat a homemade brownie in my home that I did not make was pretty much the best feeling. Yes, so maybe it's cute to say he earned brownie points, but this takes the term to a whole 'nother level. 

Also, it's a really good recipe. If you can figure it out. (A "wife, mama and foodie living in St. Paul, MN," posted the recipe here.)