Coconut Caramel Bars

Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Preparation Time: 35 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 24
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups shredded coconut, toasted, divided
• 1 cup caramel, divided (about 30 individual caramel candies)
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon milk or 1 tablespoon cream

Recipe

• 1 toast the coconut: spread coconut in a 9x13" pan, bake in preheated 300 degree f oven 20-25 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring half way through baking time.
• 2 increase oven temperature to 350 degrees f.
• 3 in a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and egg, until well blended.
• 4 mix in flour, salt, baking powder and 1 1/2 cups toasted coconut (reserving 1/2 cup for topping).
• 5 spread mixture in un-greased 9x13" pan, lining with parchment if you desire.
• 6 bake for 15 minutes.
• 7 meanwhile melt 1/2 (1/2 cup) of the caramel in microwave.
• 8 drizzle melted caramel over baked crust and return to oven for 10-12 minutes or until medium brown and caramel is bubbly.
• 9 removed crust from oven, working quickly, use a heat proof plastic knife (plastic reduces the drag on sticky baked goods), or a bench knife, to loosen the edges of the crust from the pan; cut into 2 dozen bars, leaving them in the pan. (it is easier to cut these bars while still warm).
• 10 sprinkle bars with the chocolate chips.
• 11 allow chocolate chips to soften about 5 minutes, then spread chocolate evenly over bars.
• 12 set aside to cool completely.
• 13 loosen the bars from the edge of pan again, using a flexible spatula to lift the bars out of the pan.
• 14 set on a rack.
• 15 combine remaining caramel with 1 tablespoon milk or cream and heat until caramel is melted enough to pour.
• 16 stir to combine with milk or cream, drizzle over the bars.
• 17 garnish with reserved toasted coconut.