Tropical Congo Bars
By Yankee Magazine|Mar 24 2003|
A popular cookie goes tropical with macadamia nuts and coconut.
Yield
50 small bars
Ingredients
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2-3/4 cups (1 pound) packed light-brown sugar, free of lumps
3 large eggs
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
1/3 cup apricot or pineapple jam
1-1/2 cups toasted, shredded coconut
Instructions
Grease a 15x10x1-inch pan. Adjust rack to lower third of oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a large bowl, mix together the melted butter, brown sugar, and eggs just until blended. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt (omit salt if using salted nuts) into another bowl, and add this to the egg mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Spread dough in the pan (it’s sticky, so you may want to pat it out with your fingertips). Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden on the surface. It will still look soft. Remove pan from oven and place on a wire rack. Brush uncut bars with jam, and sprinkle with toasted coconut. Cut while still warm.
Notes
Toast coconut in a dry, nonstick pan over low heat, stirring often, until lightly colored.
