These rich, buttery, sweet coconut caramel cookie bars were invented, accidentally. I was actually trying to make something else, but what a HAPPY “failure!” The soft, buttery base is topped with caramel, sprinkled with toasted coconut, and drizzled with chocolate.
Let me rephrase: These coconut caramel cookie bars are basically YUM spread on YUM, sprinkled with more YUM, and and drizzled with YUM!
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cup butter
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups toasted coconut
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- Line 13 x 9 inch baking pan with foil, and grease or lightly coat with non-stick spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In another mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine butter and egg, and beat until incorporated. Add vanilla and beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients, and mix completely. The dough will resemble coarse meal. Press dough into bottom of prepared pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
- While cookie crust is baking, combine butter, sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisking constantly, bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and stir in 2 cups toasted coconut.
- Gently scoop filling onto hot crust, and spread evenly. Sprinkle with remaining cup of toasted coconut. Then return to oven, and bake another 10 minutes.
- In a small, microwave safe, mixing bowl, combine chocolate chips and coconut oil. Melt in microwave at high power for about 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Don’t heat any longer than necessary. Drizzle over cookie bars, and refrigerate 30 minutes to set. Cut into 24 squares.
Line 13 x 9 inch baking pan with foil, and grease or lightly coat with non-stick spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together:
2 ½ cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Set aside.
In another mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
Beat well (2-3 minutes).
Add:
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
Beat another 2-3 minutes.
Add dry ingredients, and mix completely. The dough will resemble coarse meal.
Press dough into bottom of prepared pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
While the crust is baking, prepare the coconut caramel filling as follows:
In a medium-size saucepan over medium heat, combine
1 ½ cup butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
Whisking constantly, bring to a boil. Immediately remove from heat.
Stir in
2 cups toasted coconut.
(Reserve 1 cup for sprinkling on top)
After 15 minutes, remove crust from oven, …
… gently scoop filling onto hot crust (it will be fragile), and spread evenly.
Sprinkle with remaining cup of toasted coconut. Then return to oven, and bake another 10 minutes.
Remove from oven, and cool completely on a wire rack.
Once the bars are cool, prepare the chocolate ganache as follows:
In a small, microwave safe, mixing bowl, combine
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Melt in microwave at high power for about 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Don’t heat any longer than necessary.
Use foil to lift cookie from pan, and flatten out edges.
Drizzle with ganache, and …
… refrigerate 30 minutes to set.
Cut into 24 squares, and …
… then enjoy with a glass of cold milk.
