The school bake sale is this weekend, and I’ve put out a casting call for big batch recipes -- specifically, bar cookies made in a 15x10 inch pan. Today's audition was Coconut Cherry White Chocolate Bars.
They passed their screen test, which for auditioning purposes, was in a 9 inch square metal pan. The recipe halves easily.
Coconut Cherry White Chocolate Bars Notes
Coconut Cherry White Chocolate Bars are perfect for the part. They are moist, chewy and won’t melt in the hot Texas sun. Plus, they are SAG – Sweet And Good. Still, I may need a body double -- cherry flavored Craisins instead of actual dried cherries. They are easy to work with and don't cost as much.
Here's the 15x10 inch recipe. The original version appeared on How Stuff Works, but they moved the link.
If you like the idea of a white chocolate filled bar cookie but these aren't doing it for you, here are some other good recipes are White Chocolate Almond Peanut Blondies, Katy's Favorite Blondies and one of my personal old favorites, Razz Ma Tazz Bars.
Recipe
Coconut Cherry White Chocolate Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (260 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter, softened -- salted** (230 grams)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
- ¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar (150 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup uncooked quick oats
- 2 cups white chocolate chips, divided use
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- ¾ cup dried cherries or cherry-flavored dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 15x10 inch pan and line with parchment paper. The original recipe called for an ungreased pan, but I recommend lining the pan with something anyway.
- In a medium size bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl, beat butter and both sugars until creamy. Add eggs one at a time and beat until blended, then beat in vanilla.
- By hand (or using lowest speed of mixer), gradually add flour mixture until blended. Add oats, coconut and cherries and stir until blended, then stir in 1 ½ cups of the white chocolate chips. Reserve ½ cup.
- Press dough evenly into the pan and sprinkle with chips.
- Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until edges are golden brown and center is almost set. Cool completely on wire rack. Remove from pan and cut into squares or diamonds.
TG says
this posting made me burst out laughing. i regret that i'm not adding any bar suggestions (altho you certainly seem to have it in hand) but the posting was awesomely witty, a boffo hit, two thumbs up
beth says
Oops, I meant fluffer nutter, not nutter butter.
beth says
Aren't the Outrageous Brownies made in an 15x10? You could do any kind of add-in to those. If I'm using chips of some sort (pb, etc.), I like to mix some in the batter and then sprinkle a cup or so on top so people know what's inside. I read Joe's blog as well, and his nutter butter bars have always been a huge hit when I make them. I think they're made in a 9x13, though. I often use the Ruth Wakefield's choc chip cookie bars recipe from KA Cookie Companion to make cookie cakes. People always like them, and it's another recipe you can easily make more exciting by varying the add-ins.
Jennywenny says
http://forayintofood.blogspot.com/2008/02/walnut-pecan-bars-and-my-day-at-farmers.html
These were my no 1 hit at my bake sale! They are a little gooey, but I just wrap them up and people absolutely love them!
Other cookies that did really well were your vegan peanut butter cookies, doubletree choc chip cookies and white chocolate chip cranberry macadamia cookies from baking bites.
I had a lot of people ask for healthy things, so I made pear and ginger bran muffins from farmgirl fare, and they were just delicious.
Also a hit in the morning is dorie greenspans oatmeal breakfast bread.
I really liked the gourmet anise fig and date swirls. People loved how they looked too.
A lot of things dont work very well in the sun though, dorie greenspan's chocolate whopper drops kind of all stuck together in one big mass in the jar. Delicious but not good to look at or handle!!
Anna says
Um, and by "Magic" she doesn't mean *those* kind of brownies.
http://2girlsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/search?q=Magic+Brownies
Thanks for the reminder, Randi! These will definitely freeze well so I could make them tomorrow.
Randi says
I still vote for my magic brownies!!
Sue H says
They look yummy but how would they be without the coconut? The family is not big on coconut.
Anna says
Veggiegirl, they won't go straight to DVD!
Katrina, I love the idea of the banana bars but am worried the frosting won't hold up. It's hot here. Still, if I could think of a good way to present them....people love banana bars.
BB, I'll check the recipe. I wonder if they are similar to "chocolate revel bars". I've seen a 15x10 version of those and they sound similar. I'd rather make yours, though.
Joe, ditto on what I said to Katrina about the frosting. If you have any suggestion on wrapping and presenting frosted banana bars on a hot sunny day, let me know. Love the idea of hazelnut chocolate chip! Different, yet familiar.
I'll probably go with 1 brownie, 1 bar, and some sort of peanut butter or peanut butter/chocolate cookie.
Joe says
Oops - the Hazelnut bars are actually located here.
http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2006/06/what-were-those-nuts.html
Joe says
Hi Anna - I went through some recipes we have posted. Maybe one of these would fit well? I'll just link to the post where we talked about them if that's ok.
Banana Bars with Browned Butter Pecan Frosting
M&M Cookie Bars
Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Bars
Cappuccino Caramel Oat Bars
Iced Hermit Bars
Nutty Peanut Butter Caramel Bars
bakingblonde says
Oh, and your bars look GREAT!
bakingblonde says
The oatmeal fudge bars in my blog can be made in a 10x15 pan. They are really good, sturdy chilled and at roomtemp but may not hold up to warm temps (like in a car or outside in the heat) too well.
Katrina says
Do you really want it to be a cookie type bar, or anything in a 15x10 pan? I have a most scrumptious banana cake recipe with cream cheese frosting that is to die for. I've seen one on Joe's website. Mine is similar, but still not the same but so DARN good I can hardly stand it. You can easily do 24 pieces, or 48.
I'll send you a picture by email, that's the only way I know how to do it.
I wrapped these and froze them for a month or so and they were still just as good as the day they were made.
VeggieGirl says
Those bars will sell out for sure, at the bake sale!