Coconut Pecan Slice

It is kind of tropical, in a way, I guess...

This recipe comes from the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion, under the name Camelot Dream Bars. They are very sweet, but since they have nuts and coconut you can feel very smug eating twelve of them. This recipe makes c.16 bars.

Ingredients:

For the Base:

1/2 cup / 112g unsalted butter

1/4 cup / 60g dark brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups / 180g plain flour

For the Bars:

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup / 180g dark brown sugar

1/4 cup / 30g plain flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cups / 135g desiccated coconut

1 cup / 100g toasted chopped pecans

Instructions:

For the Base:

Preheat the oven to 350˚F/180˚C, and grease a 9 x 9in baking pan or similar.

I am using my trusty silicone pan that needs no greasing!

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy, c. 3 minutes.

Mix in the flour by hand until just combined.

Press the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for c. 15 minutes, until the edges are just beginning to brown. Remove from the oven and let cool while making the bars.

For the Bars:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs until they are thick and lemon coloured, c. 5 minutes.

Add the vanilla and brown sugar and beat until smooth.

Stir in the flour, salt and baking powder by hand, then stir in the coconut and pecans.

Pour the batter over the base and spread it evenly.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned.

Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting.

I put mine in the fridge overnight before cutting them, and this helped a lot.