I’ve been on a bit of an unplanned hiatus from BoB. No big reasons, just a whole bunch of little ones that add up. I actually haven’t quite gotten around to turning the oven back on. I do plan on getting back in the kitchen this week. In the meantime, I’ll share these bars that I made a while back.
You regular readers know all about Quinn’s long-standing aversion to coconut and my abiding love of it. My coconut-containing baked goods are few and far between. I have to plan it out in advance so I have someone else who will take them off my hands once I’ve had my sampling.
These bars feature not only coconut, but also my beloved pecan sitting atop a shortbread crust. They are gooey and chewy and just plain delicious. The flavor of them reminds me a bit of that wonderful traditional frosting on German chocolate cake. The crust is a very simple combination of butter and flour. It’s understated and that works very well with the flavorful topping.
The recipe comes from More From Magnolia, the follow- up to The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook. The book describes these by saying that they couldn’t be easier to make. That’s very true. Just five ingredients and very little time are required to make them. The only difficult part is waiting overnight to get to eat them.
More coconut recipes (that Quinn won’t touch):
- Caramel Coconut Pecan Brownies
- German Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Pecan Sauce
- Chocolate Macadamia Nut Clusters
- Italian Cream Cake
Related posts:
August 10th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
I know exactly what you mean! My boyfriend won’t touch coconutty baked goods, and I adore them. So I too need to find people to take the majority of them away BEFORE I even start baking.
Lord knows what might happen if I was left with all of them…
This looks delicious! I might swap out the pecans for macadamias though; I have some leftover that need to be used up!
August 10th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
Oooh, that looks good! I too love coconut anyting, toasted even better! My Husband could care less about it. I say we coconut lovers get together and share treats
August 11th, 2008 at 1:21 am
ooh – you’re talking my language with these; I’m a sucker for coconut!
August 11th, 2008 at 7:31 am
I’ll take some of the unwanted coconut baked goods anytime! These look delicious – I’m down for anything that even resembles German chocolate cake!
August 11th, 2008 at 7:39 am
These look delicious and the recipe seems so simple! Well, simple except for that minor issue of letting the bars sit overnight before you cut into them… I will have a very hard time following that direction.
August 11th, 2008 at 8:39 am
These look amazing! The perfect treat to disgust my husband with, he hates coconut and any kind of nuts!
August 11th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Wow! These look really good! I love coconut!
Hannah
August 11th, 2008 at 10:41 am
These look incredible! I love anything with coconut, and luckily, my husband does, too. Add pecans and well, these are just about perfect!
August 11th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Jenn, I think macadamias would be great.
Rachelle, we need to organize a coconut convention so we can enjoy all of its goodness.
caked crusader, you and me both!
Culinarywannabe, it’s been ages since I had german chocolate cake. I so love it.
Amy, I admit that I didn’t realize they had to sit overnight until I was finished. Not cool.
Katie, I’m beginning to think the aversion to coconut is a male thing. Maybe it’s genetic.
Thanks, Hannah!
Elle, you’re very lucky that you can bake freely with coconut.
August 11th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Cant not love this, all the goodie ingredients. I always end up baking stuff like this ans eating alone as hubby cant eat anything sweet.
The second shot looks so good, its like almost going all the way to my mouth
August 11th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Ooo these look good. I love coconut anything and this sounds like such a yummy baked good!
August 11th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Been wondering what happened to you!
Love the coconut bars. I recently made some similar bars and posted them—
http://kevnkoi.blogspot.com/2008/08/gooey-chocolate-coconut-bars.html
I didn’t really like mine as they had a graham cracker layer on the bottom and I felt that it overbaked, but I would LOVE this shortbread crust. Thanks for the recipe!
Guess I’m lucky, my husband likes coconut–at least I know he’ll eat an Almond Joy or Mounds!
August 11th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
I made these once but used strawberries instead of coconut because I have, like you, a coconut-hater in the house.
These look good, really good.
August 11th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Thanks, Kate and Ashley!
Katrina, yours have the added benefit of having chocolate. That’s the only thing that could potentially make these better.
dawn, thanks! These coconut-haters are nothing but trouble.
August 11th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
I have that cookbook and for some reason never really paid attention to the recipe. 5 ingredients – what could be bad. People who don’t like coconut don’t know what they’re missing
August 11th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
These look fantastic! Welcome back!
Do you recommend the Magnolia Bakery book? I have been considering purchasing it.
August 11th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Coconut is definitely hit or miss with me, but I love almond joys and these actually remind me of a treat my mom used to make for my dad called Chocolate Squares. They were much more than that, a type of shortbread crust on the bottom top with sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips and coconut. They were incredible and these sound a lot like them!
August 12th, 2008 at 2:01 am
MM coconut, I bet thesse are delicious.
Sound like my type of thing!
August 12th, 2008 at 5:29 am
I have a similar recipe except that I have caramel added then dip the bottoms in melted chocolate and drizzle remaining chocolate on top. Sometimes I will take a short cut an sprinkle chocolate chips on the bottom of the pan before pressing in the shortbread, and some on top of the coconut. Taste similar to the GS Coconut Delites.
August 12th, 2008 at 7:51 am
Those looks awesome. Thanks for the recipe.
August 12th, 2008 at 8:44 am
giz, I couldn’t agree more.
Em, I really like the Magnolia Bakery cookbook. Click here and here for more things from that book.
Nick, coconut is all hit with me, especially when chocolate is involved.
Natalie, you should try them!
hawkswench, your version sounds delicious! I like the idea of dipping the bottoms in chocolate.
Thanks, aparna.
August 12th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
How can anyone not like coconut?! The entire idea makes my brain hurt. I think I need these squares to live.
August 12th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
I lovelovelove coconut – it’s a brand-new craving of mine, I couldn’t stand the stuff years ago! This recipe looks like i can’t be anything BUT an absolute success, maybe i’ll try it out in my lovely new cake tin
Let’s see if it’s better than my lemon shortbread – perfect for summer. check it out! You know the link 
August 12th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Yuuuuuuuuuummmmmmm. I LOVE coconut. Didn’t always though. It took some convincing.
I really really have to make these!
August 12th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Indigo, let me know how that works out for you.
Emily, it’s interesting that you have come to like coconut. For Quinn, he says it’s mostly the texture. Anyway, I’ll be sure to check out that lemon shortbread.
Sarah, I hope you like them!
August 13th, 2008 at 11:15 am
It’s great seeing you back in action, Jen – I know I will always find delicious baked goods here, and these bars are calling out my name! I love each and every ingredient on them…
August 13th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
I love coconut! Glad you are back with a killer recipe! Thanks!
August 13th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Patricia, I’m glad to be back in the kitchen!
Thanks, Maria. These bars really are “killer.”