Coconut Chocolate Chip Bars

Coconut Chocolate Chip Bars - made November 21, 2012 from Chocolate by Nick Malgieri

This is one of the desserts I made for Thanksgiving and a recipe I've had in my Still Need to Make file for sometime.  It's one of those recipes where you can tell by looking at it that it would probably turn out so I felt safe in trying it out for the dessert spread.  Worst case scenario, if it failed, I had other desserts to serve as backup.  Fortunately, it didn't fail.  If you like coconut and chocolate, this is a pretty easy dessert bar to make.  I used my scallop-edged pan to make it a little pretty.  The dough is easy to work with and the filling is very simple.  I used mini chocolate chips since I knew I would be cutting it into small pieces and I didn't want big chocolate chunks to get messy in the cutting.

The original recipe calls for making it in a 10 x 15" pan but I don't like my bar cookies to be that thin.  If I hadn't had my scallop-edged pan, I would've made it in a 9 x 13 pan, which I recommend if you don't like thin bar cookies either.

Crust

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

½ cup granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

Topping

4 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown, firmly packed

1 teaspoon baking powder

One 7-ounce bag (2 2/3 cups) shredded sweetened coconut

2 cups (about 8 ounces) pecan pieces, coarsely chopped

2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

One 10 x 15 x 1-inch pan (or 9 x 13 pan) lined with foil and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray

1.     Set a rack at lower third of the oven and preheat to 350˚F.

2.     To make the crust, use a rubber spatula to beat the butter in a mixing bowl.  Beat in the sugar.  Fold in the flour to form a crumbly dough.

3.     Turn the dough out into the prepared pan and, using the floured palm of your hand, pat and press the dough out into an even layer over the bottom of the pan.  Bake for 15 minutes, until crust begins to color.  Remove to a rack and prepare the topping.

4.     To make the topping, whisk the eggs together, then whisk in the granulated sugar.  Whisk in the brown sugar, then the baking powder.  Add the coconut, pecans, and chocolate chips and fold them in with a rubber spatula.

5.     Distribute the topping all over the dough and spread it even with a small metal offset icing spatula or the back of a spoon.  Bake the bars for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the topping is firm and golden.  Cool on a rack.

6.     Trim away 1/8 inch of the edges of the bars and cut into 2-inch squares.  Lift them from the pan with a spatula.

Storage: Keep the bars between sheets of wax paper in a tin or other container with a tight-fitting cover.