Flakes of coconut and bursts of tart berries are in every bite of these Blueberry Coconut Bars. Spring isn't quite here, but these bars bring us closer!
1 1/2teaspoonssweetened cream of coconut(I used Coco Lopez)
2-3tablespoonsmilk
Instructions
Macerate the blueberries:
Rinse the blueberries and place them in a large bowl. Sprinkle sugar over the berries. Mix briefly with a spatula and set aside uncovered for about an hour or so.
Bake the batter:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly spray a 9x13 dish and line with parchment leaving a slight overhang. Set aside.
In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment over medium/high speed. Cream the butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. This should take about 2-3 minutes or so.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stop and scrape the mixer to incorporate. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the mixer. Reduce the speed to low. Add the vanilla extract and sweetened cream of coconut*. Mix briefly to combine.
Add the flour in two parts, mixing until just combined. Stop and remove bowl from mixer. Fold in the sweetened coconut flakes. Fold the batter a couple of times to incorporate any dry bits that remain on the bottom of the bowl, but do not over mix. A couple folds is all you need. You will end up with a nice stiff batter.
Measure about 3 1/2 cups of batter and drop into prepared pan. Smooth and even out as best you can with a small offset spatula. It doesn't have to be perfect.
Drop spoonfuls of macerated blueberries onto the batter and spread them as even as you can. Drizzle evenly any blueberry syrup that has accumulated at the bottom of the bowl.
With a cookie scoop, drop random spoonfuls of remaining batter over the macerated blueberries. No need to smooth it out. It will melt and come together as it bakes.
Place pan in the oven and bake for 30 - 35 minutes until the top is a golden brown and the blueberries are bubbling a bit. Remove dish (or pan) from the oven and allow it to cool completely before removing from the dish and glazing.
Make the glaze:
In a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, and cream of coconut. Add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time and mix with either a small whisk or a fork until you get the desired consistency.
Lifting the parchment overhang, remove bars from the dish. Cut the bars into squares and drizzle glaze over the bars. Top with blueberries if desired. You know, to make this situation look purty and whatnot.
Notes
The calories shown are based on the bars being cut into 20 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 bar. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**