Cookie Carnival - Black - Bottom Coconut Bars

Even though I am running WAY behid this month, I wanted to try the Black - Bottom Coconut Bars that were chosen by Kate for the Clean Plate Club's Cookie Carnival. I might not make the deadline to show my bars in the roundup but I'm really happy that I made the bars.

The first layer of the bars are brownie-ish. These brownies are covered with a chewy coconut topping. You can afford to cut these cuties into small pieces because they are very rich and filling. My husband and I both really liked them. I thought that they tasted much better once the bars were completely cooled. When I cut into mine, the middle bars were still a little bit warm. My husband didn't mind them either way.

This recipe is from Martha Stewart's website. I was never a big fan of her website but I've started changing my mind within the last year. The more recipes that I make from her website, the more I seem to like them. This is a good thing.


Black-Bottom Coconut Bars

For Chocolate Base:

* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan - I used butter spray in the pan
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 large egg
* 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
* FOR COCONUT TOPPING
* 2 large eggs - I used 1 egg + 1/4 C. applesauce & 1/2 tsp baking soda
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
* 1 package sweetened shredded coconut (7 ounces), 1/2 cup reserved for sprinkling

Directions:

1. For chocolate base: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving a slight overhang; butter bottom and sides of foil (not overhang). I used butter spray instead of greasing the foil with butter. It worked just fine. Spray lightly.

2. Place butter in a large microwave-safe bowl; melt in microwave. Add sugar and salt; whisk to combine. Whisk in egg, then cocoa and flour until smooth. Spread batter in prepared pan.

3. Bake just until sides begin to pull away from edges of pan, 10 to 15 minutes (do not overbake). Let cool slightly while preparing coconut topping. Keep oven on for topping.

4. For coconut topping: In a medium bowl, whisk eggs with sugar and vanilla. Gently mix in flour and coconut (except 1/2 cup reserved for sprinkling). I had only 1 egg left so I subbed the applesauce and baking powder that I listed above, for the second egg. Everything worked out fine with the substitutions.

5. Drop mounds of mixture over chocolate base; spread and pat in gently and evenly with moistened fingers. Sprinkle with reserved 1/2 cup coconut.

6. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Lift cake from pan, peel off foil, and cut into 24 bars. Store in an airtight container 3 to 4 days.

I would make these again. This is a sturdy cookie bar that would pack well for gift-giving for the holidays or one that would be really pretty for a bake sale -- especially if you tint the coconut to reflect the holidays. I wish that I would've thought of that before now. Just think how pretty orange coconut would be on top of those bars!