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German Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients

Brownies:
5 oz (10 tablespoons or 1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
9 oz (1 1/4) cups sugar
3 oz (3/4 cups plus 2 tbsp) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 oz (2 large) cold eggs
2 1/2 oz (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
2 1/4 oz (2/3 cups) walnut or pecan pieces (optional)

Topping:
8 fl oz (1 cup) heavy cream
3 3/4 oz (1/2) cup sugar
2 1/4 oz (3 large) egg yolks
3 oz (6 tbsp) butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped
5 oz (2 1/2 cups) sweetened coconut, toasted

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325. Spray an 8 X 8 baking pan with cooking spray,
then line it with parchment paper so the parchment hangs over the sides. Spray the parchment too.
Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa and salt in a medium metal bowl and
fit the bowl on top of a pot of simmering water.
Stir, watching the butter; if it’s not melting quickly enough, turn up the heat.
Keep stirring until the butter’s all melted and you have a paste.
Stick your finger into the paste and when it’s (170ºF),
remove the bowl from the pot and allow it to cool a bit.
Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one.
Add the flour and stir until it disappears, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with a wooden spoon.
Stir in the nuts and spread evenly in your lined pan.
Bake until a cake tester comes out mostly clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on a rack.
Lift up the parchment on to a cutting board and cut the brownies into squares.
Mix the cream, sugar, and egg yolks in a medium saucepan.
Put the butter, salt, toasted coconut, and pecan pieces in a large bowl.
Heat the cream mixture and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the spoon.
Pour the hot custard immediately into the pecan-coconut mixture and stir until the butter is melted.
Cool completely to room temperature. Preheat your broiler.
Pour German chocolate mixture over your brownies and place in oven for 5-7 minutes,
until the top has browned slightly. Remove and allow to cool before cutting.