It's the Little Things...

Dove Truffle Brownies with Orange Zest and Coconut

It has been said that it's the little things that make a big difference; well, today it was a series of little things. For example, things like... 

     1. using a square glass baking pan instead of the silicone mini-brownie pan that caused so many problems in December (link). I've given up on silicone baking pans of any shape but continue to use and appreciate silicone spatulas and sheet pan liners (Silpats).   

     2. using the same packaged mix, but adding some grated orange zest and a half cup of unsweetened coconut shreds for a welcome flavor punch. Before these additions the first batch of brownies seemed too single-note chocolatey and tooth-achingly sweet; okay, but not great. Small amounts of citrus and unsweetened coconut made a discernible difference that we loved.

     3. adjusting the suggested baking time of 20-30 minutes that had previously resulted in soggy, too-moist centers. I added seven minutes and voila!; 37 minutes was just enough to firm up the middle without creating overdry corners. 

An 8"x8" pan yielded sixteen squares of 2-inch brownies, enough dessert to last us for days. Maybe. After breakfast we snacked on brownie squares still warm from the oven, sampled "just-one-more"  brownie later in the morning, and brownie bites topped with a cream cheese frosting studded with orange shreds for an afternoon snack. Who can resist such heavenly, sinfully rich, chocolatey-orange treats? Not us. 

RL rated these Dove Truffle Brownies as better tasting than Ghirardelli and Krusteaz GlutenFree box-mix brownies, but that was after the addition of the orange zest and coconut. This quick box-mix brownie recipe can't top my favorite made-from-scratch recipe for Mexican Chocolate Sourdough Brownies with Chili (link), but they were a terrific answer to this morning's need for a quick treat. I had promised a landscaping crew that I would bake cookies for their return visit this week, today in fact. The brownies took 5 minutes to mix, 37 minutes to bake, 10-15 minutes to cool and... I must have mixed up the dates because the guys never appeared. Dang, we had to enjoy the brownies all by ourselves.

Now there are only a few brownies left so I suppose I had better bake some cookies, just in case today is the day the yard crew returns. Calendar issues in my kitchen? yeah, it's the little things!

Notes: 

• This post was not a promo for Dove Chocolate products, though I do admit to a fondness for Dove Bar mini bites. The box of brownie mix was a bonus gift from a friend - thanks Laci! We enjoyed 12 of those 2-inch squares in two days, and shared the remaining 4 with the yard guys when they arrived this morning.
• If you are looking for a seriously decadent nut-enhanced brownie, take a peek at joythebaker's latest recipe with three kinds of chocolate and three different nuts.