January 8, 2016

Tiki Party Perfect Vintage Coconut Golden Brownies


As the last of the tinsel is vacuumed out of the car[et, the Christmas lights flicked off once more, and we begin hunkering in for the long haul stretch that is winter sans looking forward to December, it can feel like summer is a million miles away.

Thankfully such isn't actually the case, but that knowledge scarcely makes the next few months any easier to bear. Even if only enjoys winter (as I generally do), its bleak weather, icy temps, and serious lack of daylight can be draining on the heartiest of us.




By far one of my favourite ways to help perk up this time of the year is with tropical inspired food, drinks, and even fashion!


Luckily many equator line fruits are at their peak right amount now, and in general, they're super easy to come by for those in most parts of the world.

Whether you're in the mood for a single South Seas themed dish or want to go all out and throw a tiki party to keep Old Man Winter at bay, January is an ideal time to look to the tropics for your recipe choices and today's vintage recipe for Golden Coconut Brownies are sure to have you humming a Don Ho tune in no time.



{Hailing from a 1952 ad that appeared Woman's Day magazine, this tasty, wonderfully easy to make recipe for coconut brownies is sure to help lift your spirits and satisfy your sweet tooth in the process all winter long. Vintage image source.}



As far as I can tell, Welch's chocolate bars haven't been made in ages, but fear not, any similar chocolate + coconut candy bar (such as Mounds or Bounty) can be used here. If such were not forthcoming for you, you could probably just use a nice milk chocolate bar and some sweetened shredded coconut easily enough as well.

These brownies offer up a scrumptious Polynesian inspired flavour that differs from most of the fare we've been consuming in recent weeks. They're refreshing, scrumptious, fairly easy on the pocketbook and dead simple to make. I've had a lot of luck making them in GF form, too, both from scratch and with mixes such as Glutino's Brownie mix.

If you wanted to gild the lily - err, brownie :) - here, you could easily top these scrumptious chocolate + coconut brownies with a sweet frosting of you choice. One that involved coconut, pineapple, orange, or maraschino cherries would both be wonderfully mid-century appropriate and also very tropical island approved. A nice, rich caramel or even strawberry (or raspberry) icing could be sublime here, too, and I can think of at least a few folks I know who would enjoy a coffee frosting on these brownies as well.

I swear, in January and February, I sport my tropic flower print clothes more than any other time of the year and also reach for recipes like this most frequently as well. Between the two of them and plenty of hot chocolate, one can do a pretty decent job of forgetting it's -30C outside - well, at least until you open the front door!

So why not bake up a batch of these great mid-century coconut chocolate brownies (which also work wonderfully for Valentine's Day next month) today and show winter who’s boss! :)

27 comments:

  1. What a fun recipe! I love the idea of using vintage recipes, I am going to have to try this!

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    1. I hope that it turns out wonderfully for you, sweet Sarah. I just adore cooking with vintage recipes and rarely go more than a few days without doing so. Granted I've updated/modified many of them, but still, their roots are decades old and certainly in some cases, they remain virtually unchanged.

      Happy baking!

      ♥ Jessica

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  2. Too bad those coconut bars aren't available any longer! Would love to try this recipe :)

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    1. Hi sweet Bethany, thank you very much for your comment. Do you have access to Mounds bars where you live? If so, they (or Bounty Bars here in Canada, which I'd be delighted to send you some of, if you'd like) would work wonderfully here in lieu of "Welch's Coconut Bars" (which I bet were pretty tasty unto themselves).

      Big hugs & happy Friday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  3. Ooh, these look delicious! I always find that I appreciate summer more in the winter and vice versa. These brownies look super yummy and they sure make me hungry for coconut!

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    1. So very true. There's a bit of the "grass is always greener" affect at play with seasons. For me, year round (save for when it is actually taking place), I crave autumn (my favourite season). It's so short-lived here and we're lucky to get 6 - 8 weeks before winter weather kicks in, so I find myself counting down the days until it returns. :)

      Big hugs & many thanks for your great comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  4. What a fun recipe! I'm not a fan of coconut. But my kids are. This is a bit interesting than the usual frosted sugar cookies or the red velvet cake I make. I think Valentines can be a mix of coconut brownies and red velvet cupcakes.❤️

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    1. Yum! These would be a fantastic addition to a Valentine's Day spread. I might just have to follow your lead there, especially since we have Bounty chocolate bars here in Canada, which are super similar to the "Welch's" ones that were called for here originally.

      Hope your kids (and hubby) love them if you to whip up a batch.

      Big hugs & happy weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  5. I love the idea of doing some summery baking in the middle of a cold spell. It's a nice way to recapture that feeling without flying off to warmer climes. This sounds so tasty, I love coconut!

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    1. Very much so! Pineapple upside down cake almost becomes a food group unto itself for me during the winter for that exact reason. :)

      Thank you very much for your great comment. I hope that you have an awesome second weekend of the year, sweet lady!

      ♥ Jessica

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  6. While Cocoanut bars might a thing of the past, I love the tag for Junior Mints on the bottom of the ad!

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    1. Junior Mints are great! They hopped over the border to Canada a few years now (for the first time - at least as far as I'd ever seen) and are fairly common here now, especially at movie theaters.

      In place of Welch's bars, I'd use Mounds or Bounty Bars here instead. I'm sure either would create just as tasty of an outcome. :)

      Big hugs & happy weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  7. Happy Saturday, Jessica.
    Holiday upon a holiday.. upon a holiday. We have had more than we can count (blessed as we are, to live in a multi-national region). Since December 19th (St.Nicolas) all the way up to our Christmas.. and it's not yet over! :)
    There's still a "Serbian New year" - January 14 on the Gregorian calendar (the calendar WE all observe time by), but January 1st on the Julian calendar (the one we use to observe holidays).. & then just one more: January 20th . my family's Saint Protector - St. John's day.
    When it comes to baking - I say: we do a lot.
    So, by this time we're pondering about WHAT NOW?! My word, Jess, you've read my mind.. indeed I AM planning to baking some sort of coconut cake - to take to work on January 20th and to treat my colleagues. :)

    Have a sweet day!
    M.

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    1. How wonderful that the holiday season is still going strong for you this weekend, sweet Marija. I adore that your country marks both of January's new years. It's clear that, as a culture, you still have very strong ties to the past (which of course the history + vintage lover in me sincerely appreciates).

      Great timing indeed! So long as one is a fact, coconut is a must in these chilly winter months. It's cool that we both have it on our minds and tables alike at the moment.

      Joyful winter holiday wishes & tons of hugs!
      ♥ Jessica

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  8. Hello dear Jessica,

    Oh yum! I love chocolate and coconut! What a delicious way to have brownies. Mounds is one of my favorite candy bars.

    I am blessed to have several citrus trees - orange, tangerine, grapefruits, and lemon. I juiced twenty oranges for breakfast Friday morning, served with cinnamon rolls and coffee :)

    Keep warm,
    ♥Hope

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  9. yummy!
    lately i baked a big bunch of chocolate cookies with coconut flakes in it! must be in the air :-)
    my way to feel summery in winter is to make tropical food like thai or indian dishes - spicey, light, with lots of fresh veggies und fruit! and coconut cream!
    bon appetite! xxxxxx

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    1. Yum! Your cookies sound terrific! I love using coconut in cookies as well. Really, I'll use it anywhere I can. :)

      Thank you for your lovely comment, my fellow coconut fan.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  10. Hello Jessica! I still have not found the time to return quietly to my blog .. and to my other passions, as the pastry! My brownies love it to my friends, but I have never met! I hope to try this recipe, which looks very interesting ... thanks ... and Happy New Year, late, but with all my heart!

    serena

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    1. Hi Serene dear, no worries at all. I completely understand! This month has been every bit as busy, hectic and on-the-go as December was and I've scarcely had time to stop and catch my breath either. Thank you for popping by for a visit here in the midst of so much going on in your own life. I sincerely appreciate it and always enjoy hearing from you.

      Tons of hugs & joyful January wishes!
      ♥ Jessica

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  11. They sound really delicious. I am partial to a chocolate brownie and I haven't had any with added coconut before but I'm sure they would be good.

    On another note, I have yet to hear from my VSS. I wondered if you might know anything?

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    1. Hi sweet Kate, thank you very much for your lovely comment and for letting me know that your VSS gift has not yet arrived. I will contact your Santa right away to see if we can try to find out more information about the status of your gift. I'll let you know right away via email if I hear back from her.

      Big hugs from snowy Penticton,
      ♥ Jessica

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  12. I just whipped up some brownies last night and was so wishing I had some coconut goodness to throw in. Next batch I bake will have to be these, I never thought of using a mounds bar!

    You've got me scheming and dreaming about a tropical-themed cocktail party! What fun it would be to plan and host such a cheery, festive gathering during these dark winter days.

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    1. Most definitely! If only a bunch of us vintage adoring folks could get together for one. Alas, we're often spaced out across the globe, so that isn't feasible, but it's a lovely thought all the same and we can of course still hold one for our (non-vintage) friends and family, as you suggested. I might just have to give my Valentine's Day family get-together a tropical theme now, come to think of it. :)

      Big hugs & happy baking,
      ♥ Jessica

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  13. Tropical in winter, why have I never thought of that!?! Such a lovely idea. This recipe goes straight to my Vintage Recipes' board on Pinterest. I've just come home from a lovely flea market, so I'm eating lunch and admiring all my treasures. From a good stack of LP's, a book from 1897 (had to buy it), new vintage coffee cup set, to a pashmina shawl, a bangle and a new box of talcum. My favourite shopping, it's cheap and it's reuse, what's not to love!? Have a lovely day, dear. PS: Received my order two days ago, will mail soon, but thank you SOOO much for the gifts, love them, love them, love them! :)

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    1. The two things marry marvelously. We kept getting more and more snow here, coupled with some sharp as glass northerly winds here this week, so I need as many coconut (and/or pineapple) dishes as I can get. :) How is the weather on your end so far this month, my sweet friend? I hope that it's pleasant (given the season) and that you're having a great 2016 so far.

      Tons of hugs & happy mid-January wishes!
      ♥ Jessica

      *PS* You're super welcome! Wow, I'm always impressed with how quickly mail reaches you. Thank you for letting me know that your latest order arrived (and that you love the surprises). I really appreciate your thoughtfulness. ♥

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    2. It is frosty and snowing a lot in Denmark, I am really glad I got new tires for my winter car, or else I would never make it to work, I am sure. So I think we have kind of the same weather at each end of the world. :)

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    3. It sounds that way for sure, which is a lovely thought unto itself. I hear you about the tires. Our new car didn't come with winter tires (just all season ones which are not safe for the harsh weather conditions we get here in the winter), so we had to buy a brand new set of them literally within 48 hours of bringing our car home (especially since it was really snowing that week). Never a dull moment! :)

      Big hugs & happy Friday wishes, my beautiful friend.

      ♥ Jessica

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