Mounds Bar Cookies

Have you made your list and checked it twice?  Your cookie list, that is!  I hope your baking season is off to an excellent start!  All of this commercialization is taking away from the real focus of the holidays: baked goods!  I’ve been tinkering with my holiday cookie list since we first turned on our heat.  I think I finally have it squared away.  It is a carefully honed list of 14 super secret items.  Some are cookies.  Some are candies.  Some are just flavor ideas right now.  To get all 14 made, I’m going to have to make a plan and stick to it.  Luckily making the plan is half of the fun of holiday baking!  Raise your hand if you love making baking lists and timelines!  Ahem, I hope I am not the only one wildly waving my arm in the air.  Regardless, this is a great time of year because you get to bake so many great things and share them with so many wonderful people.  The world would be a better place if we had more baking-focused holidays!

Perhaps you are looking for something new to make this holiday?  These mounds bar cookies might just fit the bill.  They taste just like the candy bar, but better!  The crust is structured but crumbles away in your mouth, and the coconut layer is moist and chewy.  Yum!   

Notes:
The coconut layer may stick a little bit to the edges of the pan.  For a quick and easy release from the foil, grease the side of the foil with some butter or melted coconut oil.  Don’t forget to shake the can of coconut milk because it has a tendency to settle and you won’t be using the entire can.  The consistency of the chocolate crust will be slurry-like, but not runny, before you bake it.  I like to cut these so they are about 1x1.5 inches.  You don’t need to melt too much chocolate for the drizzle.  I always start with a small handful and then melt more if I need it.  Allow the chocolate to cool a little bit before you put it in the baggie and begin drizzling.  Alternatively, you can just use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate, but you won’t have as much control. 

Crust Ingredients:
½ teaspoon (1 g) espresso powder
¾ cups (102 g) all-purpose flour
⅓ cup (31 g) cocoa powder
1 tablespoon (7 g) black cocoa powder
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (26 g) granulated sugar
⅓ cup (67g) melted coconut oil

Coconut Layer:
1 cup (239g) light coconut milk
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
2 cups (187g) sweetened coconut flakes
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Drizzle:
a small handful of dark chocolate chunks or chips (~2-3 ounces)

Mix, Press, Bake, Cook, Layer, Bake, Cool:
Adjust the oven racks to the middle level of the oven, and preheat it to 350ºF.  Line an 8x8-inch pan with foil, grease the sides of the pan with butter or melted coconut oil, and set aside.  In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the espresso powder, all-purpose flour, cocoa powders, salt, and two tablespoons of granulated sugar.  Add the melted coconut oil and stir until incorporated.  The mixture will be thick and shiny.  Evenly spread the mixture out in the prepared pan.  You may need to use your clean fingertips to spread it out to the edges.  Bake the crust for 10 minutes, or until the top appears dry.  If you touch the surface, some may stick to your fingertip, but that is ok.  If the crust is finished baking before the coconut mixture is made, remove it from the oven and set it aside to cool slightly.  While the crust bakes, prepare the coconut layer by combining the coconut milk and sugar in a medium-sized pan, and bring the mixture to a rapid boil for one minute.  Add the coconut flakes to the mixture and boil for another 3 minutes.  The mixture should be glisteny and thick.  Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.  Spread the coconut mixture evenly over the slightly cooled crust, and pop it all back in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the coconut is set and the edges are just beginning to brown.  Remove the pan from the oven, and allow the bars to cool. 

Cut and Drizzle:
Once the bar is fully cooled, place the chocolate in double boiler or small pan, and gently warm it.  Once melted, remove it from the heat, and set it aside to cool slightly.  To cut the bars, use the foil overhang to lift the bar out of the pan and onto a cutting board.  Carefully peel the foil away from the edges of the bar.  You don’t have to worry about peeling it off the bottom crust because it should slide off easily once the bars are cut.  Use a sharp, thin knife to cut the bar into rectangles and to lift each cookie off of the foil.  You may need to wipe the knife off with a clean, damp towel between cuts.  Once all of the bars are cut, line a small drinking glass with a small plastic bag.  Transfer the slightly cooled chocolate to the bag and secure the top.  Trim off a tiny bit of one of the corners and drizzle the chocolate over the bars.  Allow the chocolate to set and then store the cookies in an airtight container between layers of wax paper. 

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