Luau Brownies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups sugar plus 1/2 cup
• 1 1/3 cups unbleached flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract plus 2 teaspoons
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs plus 1 egg
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 cups shredded sweetened coconut
• 1 cup chopped mix of roasted and salted macadamias, cashews, and almonds
• 1 cup canned pineapple tidbits

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly grease the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan.

In a double boiler or in a large microwave-safe bowl in the microwave oven, melt and stir together butter and chocolate chips. To the chocolate mixture add, 1 1/2 cups sugar, flour, 1 teaspoon vanilla, baking powder, salt, 4 eggs, and mix together well.

In a separate bowl, mix together the cream cheese, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1 egg, 1/2 cup sugar, and the coconut.

To assemble: layer half of the chocolate batter into the pan. Sprinkle half the nuts and pineapple on top of the batter. Dollop the cream cheese mixture on top, and spread it out across the top. Mix the rest of the nuts and pineapple into the remaining chocolate batter, and pour it over top of the cream cheese mix.

Bake for about 40 minutes (check after 35 minutes). The top should be lightly crusted and the edges lightly browned and beginning to pull from the sides of the pan. Cool completely in pan before cutting.