Coconut Cake Bars Recipes

BUTTERY COCONUT BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13x9-in. baking pan with parchment, letting ends extend up sides., In a large bowl, mix flour, brown sugar and salt; stir in 1 cup melted butter. Press onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake until light brown, 12-15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Reduce oven setting to 325°., In a large bowl, whisk the first 7 filling ingredients until blended; stir in 3 cups coconut. Pour over crust; sprinkle with remaining coconut. Bake until light golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Lifting with parchment, remove from pan. Cut into bars.

COCONUT CHEESECAKE BARS

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 9"x13" cake pan with foil so that 2" foil hangs over each side. Butter pan; set aside. In bowl of food processor, add Maria cookies and sugar; pulse until fine crumbs form, about 30 seconds. Add melted butter; pulse to evenly moisten crumbs. Transfer crumbs to prepared pan; using spatula or bottom of glass, press crumbs into even layer. Bake crust until lightly puffed and fragrant, 12-15 minutes; set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, in medium mixing bowl, using electric mixer, beat together cream cheese, cream of coconut and salt on medium-high speed until well combined, 3-4 minutes. Reduce speed to low; beat in eggs, one at a time, and then vanilla extract until well combined.
• Pour cream cheese mixture into prepared pan. Evenly sprinkle coconut over top. Bake until edges of cheesecake is puffed but middle is barely set, 45 minutes. Cool cheesecake on cooling rack until room temperature. Chill in refrigerator, uncovered, until cold, at least 4 hours, or overnight.
• To remove cheesecake from pan, lifting up foil handles; transfer to cutting board. Cut cheesecake into squares. Serve.