Oat, Coconut and Raspberry Bars

This recipe comes from Coup de Pouce and can be frozen.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 16
• Yields: 16 bars

Ingredients

• 3⁄4 cup coconut
• 1⁄2 cup flour
• 1⁄3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 cup  cold butter, diced
• 1  cup oats
• 1⁄3 cup  raspberry preserves, without seed

Directions

1. Spread 1/2 cup of coconut on a small baking sheet (reserve remaining coconut for the garnish). Cook in a preheated oven of 375 F for about 5 minutes or until coconut is golden (stir at mid-cooking). Let cool.
2. In a bowl, mix flour, brown sugar and salt. Add butter, and with a pastry knife or 2 knives, mix until the mixture looks like rough crumbs. Add oats and toasted coconut and stir well.
3. Set aside 1/3 cup of the oat mixture. Press remaining oats in a cake pan of 9 inches in the side (that has parchment paper or is greased). Spread the raspberry preserve, then sprinkle with the oats you set aside and remaining coconut.
4. Cook in the center of a preheated oven of 375 F for about 15 minutes or until the top is golden. Put the pan on a rack and let cool. Cut in 16 bars. (You can prepare these bars in advance and put them side by side in an hermetic container, taking care to separate each range with parchment paper. They will be good up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 2 weeks in the freezer, wrapped with plastic wrap and foil paper.).