Dulce de Leche, Coconut and Chocolate Chip Magic Bars
I remember making “magic bars” for my high-school sweetheart. These are much more sophisticated, containing my favorite ingredient, dulce de leche. I adapted this recipe by Grace Parisi which was originally published in Food and Wine, Nov 2010. Grace include 4 ounces of bacon, but I felt that was over the top.
Dulce de Leche, Coconut and Chocolate Chip Magic Bars
Makes 30 bars
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
seeds from 1 vanilla bean
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups sweetened shredded coconut (6 1/2 ounces)
12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup salted roasted almonds, chopped
One 16-ounce jar dulce de leche
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving up to 1 inch of overhang. Spray the paper with vegetable oil spray.
In a medium saucepan, cook the butter over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and browned, about 4 minutes. Scrape the butter into a large bowl and freeze just until solid, about 15 minutes.
Using a handheld electric mixer, beat the sugar, vanilla seeds and egg yolk into the butter at medium speed until blended. Add the flour and salt and beat until moistened crumbs form. Press the crumbs into the prepared baking pan and bake in the lower third of the oven for about 25 minutes, until the crust is set and lightly browned.
In the bowl, toss the coconut with the chocolate chips, and almonds.
In another bowl, whisk the dulce de leche with the condensed milk; pour two-thirds of it in the crust. Lightly press the coconut mixture over the dulce de leche. Drizzle the remaining dulce de leche mixture on top.
Bake the bars for 35 to 40 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Transfer the pan to a rack and let the bars cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Carefully remove the bars from the pan and peel off the paper. Cut into bars and serve.
The bars can be refrigerated for 1 week or kept at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Read MoreSticky Oat-and-Pine-Nut Bars
These delicious gluten-free granola like bars were adapted from a recipe by Luis Villavelazquez, originally published in Food and Wine, May 2010. Use a Giradelli white chocolate bar not chips, to ensure gluten-free chocolate or substitute semi-sweet chocolate.
Sticky Oat-and-Pine-Nut Bars
Makes 12 bars
1 stick unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 cups gluten-free rolled or steel-cut oats
1 1/2 cups pine nuts (8 ounces)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Pinch of salt
4 ounces gluten-free white chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon vegetable or canola oil
Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line the bottom and two sides with parchment paper.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter with the honey and sugar and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until an amber caramel forms, about 5 minutes. Stir in the oats, pine nuts, pepper and salt and cook, stirring constantly, until the pine nuts just begin to brown, about 2 minutes. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake for about 20 minutes, until bubbling and browned around the edges. Let the bars cool completely in the pan.
Run the tip of a knife around the edge of the pan and lift the square from the pan. Cut the square in half, then cut each half into 6 bars. Discard the parchment paper.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the white chocolate at high power at 30-second intervals, stirring in between. Stir in the oil and let cool slightly. Dip the bottom half of each oat bar into the white chocolate and set the bars on the baking sheet. Refrigerate just until the white chocolate is set. If the chocolate looks thin, dip the bars a second time.
The bars can be refrigerated for 1 week or kept at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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