Coconut Pecan Sweet And Salty Bars Food

COCONUT PECAN BARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, salt and baking powder; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in coconut and pecans (batter will be thick). , Spread into a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Cut into bars.

PECAN-COCONUT PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Pulse the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the shortening and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Add the butter and pulse a few times until it is in pea-size bits. Add the egg yolk and 2 tablespoons ice water, then pulse a few times. Pinch the mixture with your fingers; if it doesn't hold together, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Turn out onto a sheet of plastic wrap, gather into a disk and wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Roll out the dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface and ease into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim the edges, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Tuck the overhanging dough under itself and crimp the edges with your fingers. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, position racks in the middle and bottom of the oven; preheat to 350˚ F. Spread 1 cup pecans on a baking sheet and toast on the middle rack until darkened, 8 to 10 minutes; let cool.
• Line the pie crust with parchment or foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake on the bottom oven rack until the edges of the crust are lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights and continue to bake until the bottom of the crust is golden, 10 to 15 more minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until brown flecks appear, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream of coconut, brown sugar, flour, lemon juice and salt. Let cool to lukewarm, 5 to 10 minutes, then whisk in the eggs and coconut extract until combined.
• If the crust has cooled, return it to the oven for a few minutes to warm through. Scatter the toasted pecans in the crust. Pour in the filling. Top with the shredded coconut and remaining 1/2 cup untoasted pecans. Bake on the middle oven rack until the filling is just set, 35 to 40 minutes (cover loosely with foil if the crust is getting too dark). Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

COCONUT-PECAN BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Stir in 1 cup flour. Pat in bottom of ungreased square pan, 9x9x2 inches. Bake 12 to 17 minutes or until very light brown.
• Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat eggs slightly with wire whisk. Stir in vanilla. Gradually beat in brown sugar just until blended. Beat in 2 tablespoons flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt; mix well. Stir in coconut and pecans. Carefully spoon coconut mixture evenly over baked layer.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and filling is set. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around edges of pan to loosen. Cool completely, about 1 hour. For bars, cut into 4 rows by 4 rows.

SWEET AND SALTY CRUNCHY NUT BARS

Steps:

• Be still my beating heart! Or perhaps this is not the best thing to say here, given the likelihood of this lusciously over-the-top piece of chocolate excess inducing just such an outcome. I wouldn't want to make this very often, so impossible is it to walk away from with any conviction. I fear it is the kitchen equivalent to crack cocaine.
• Still, as the French say "Everything in moderation, even moderation." This is gloriously intemperate, riotously vulgar. I love it.
• The key is the blaring balance between sweet and salty: it's like several klaxons going off in your head as you eat. And it's strange that while I would normally eschew an all-milk chocolate offering, I prefer it here to the bittersweet-and-milk mixed version. Not that either is bad, and since the jury is matched on this, I feel it only right to alert you to either option. For what it's worth, I like the darker version in the round pan and cut into panforte-type skinny wedges, and my preferred milk chocolate version set in a rectangular pan and cut into chunky, squat slabs (rather as I feel and look like after eating too many of them).
• Line your springform pan with aluminum foil or use a foil pan.
• Break up or chop the chocolate into pieces, and drop into a heavy-based saucepan. Add the butter and syrup, put on a low heat, and melt gently together.
• Tip the peanuts into a bowl, and crush the honeycomb candy with your hands, letting the golden-glinting rubble fall into the nuts.
• Take the melted chocolate mixture off the heat and stir in the peanuts and crushed honeycomb candy, then tip straight into the springform pan or foil pan. Smooth the top of the mixture as much as you can, pressing down with a silicon spatula or vinyl-disposable-gloved hand. Put into the refrigerator for about 4 hours, and once set, cut into slices as desired.
• Make Ahead Note: The bars can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer slices to airtight container, layered with parchment paper, and store in refrigerator. Keeps for 3 to 4 days.

SWEET AND SALTY PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Stir together sugar, cream, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add pecans, and stir until well coated. Spread pecans on baking sheet in an even layer.
• Bake, stirring every 5 minutes, until browned and toasted, 20 to 22 minutes. Sprinkle pecans with 3/4 teaspoon salt, and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let cool.