Coconut Caramel Bars

If you love the taste of Samoa cookies, you will enjoy these gooey and chewy bars loaded with coconut, caramel and chocolate! If you have any question as to lifting these bars from the pan, line the bottom with parchment. This recipe was the grand prize winner for King Arthur Flour and the Baker's Catalogue.

• Ready In: 1 hr 25 mins
• Serves: 24

Ingredients

• 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

Directions

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.