Shelly's Recipe

CHOCOLATE CHIP DREAM BARS

Category: Bars

Base:
1 1/2 sticks (6 oz) unsalted cup butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon plus a pinch of salt (omit if using salted butter)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla
1 1/2 cup (6.8 oz) all-purpose flour
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Filling:
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut plus an extra handful for topping
1 cup walnuts

Toast the 1 cup walnuts (listed under filling) in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 8 minutes (check at 6). Set aside to cool.

Adjust oven heat to 375 degrees and line a 13×9 inch pan with non-stick foil.

Beat the butter, salt, brown sugar and vanilla until smooth. By hand, stir in the flour. Use your fingers and mix it until it just barely comes together. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 12 minute or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes.

After the bars have cooled slightly (you want them to still be a bit warm), scatter the chocolate chips over the crust. Press the chips down just enough so that when you cover them with the filling, they won’t get dragged all over the place.

Make the filling. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla. Beat in the baking powder and the salt, then add the flour and stir just until mixed. Stir in the chopped walnuts and 1 1/2 cups of the coconut. Drop spoonfuls of filling over the chocolate chip covered base and spread gently to cover the chocolate chips the best you can. Sprinkle the reserved handful of coconut over the top.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Let cool completely. Lift from pan and cut into 32 bars.

Note: I chilled mine for several hours before cutting, so when I lifted the bar cookies from the pan, they were quite stiff. It took slightly more elbow grease to cut them when chilled, but I think it gave them a cleaner cut. That bars are much softer when they come to room temperature.