Coconut Cookie Butter Bars

Found this luscious, yummy dessert on the internet. Sounds wonderful and can't wait to try it. We found some great desserts in Tastes & Treasures cookbook also including a favorite, Chocolate Peanut Treats on page 162.

Coconut Cookie Butter Bars
Ingredients:
Sugar Cookie Layer:
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour OR gluten-free all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon xantham gum (only if using GF flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups organic sugar (we used coconut sugar, which is why our batter is slightly browner than usual)
1 cup coconut oil or vegan butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 mashed, ripe bananas (medium sized)
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Cookie Butter Layer:
1/2 cup coconut oil or vegan butter
1 cup cookie butter

Chocolate Layer:
1/2 cup coconut oil or vegan butter
1 cup chocolate chips or chopped bar chocolate

Directions:
Sugar Cookie Layer:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine flour, xantham (if using), baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a stand mixer, beat together sugar and coconut oil (or butter) until whipped, about 1 full minute on high speed. Add in vanilla and bananas, and continue to mix until combined. Add in dry ingredients and mix again, until a batter forms. Toss in shredded coconut and mix one last time to distribute it throughout the batter. Pour batter into a greased or lined 8x8 glass baking dish (for thinner bars, feel free to use a 9x13 inch pan), and bake for 30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes clean. When finished, let cool on the counter for at least an hour (but up to overnight), or in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to set. While cooling, make cookie butter mixture.

Cookie Butter Layer:
In a small saucepan, combine the coconut oil or vegan butter and cookie butter over low heat. Stir frequently, until mixture melts together, then promptly remove from heat and let cool and thicken. Once thickened to the consistency of slightly thinned cookie butter, pour/ spread mixture over cooled cookie base. Immediately store in the fridge or freezer, to set cookie butter layer, for about 30 minutes. While setting, begin chocolate layer.

Chocolate Layer:
In a small saucepan, combine chocolate and coconut oil or vegan butter over low heat, stirring frequently until mixture melts together. Remove from heat and pour chocolate mixture over chilled cookie butter layer, immediately placing bars back into the fridge or freezer for about 30 more minutes to set completely.

Once the entire cake has set, remove from fridge or freezer, and cut. If frozen, allow cake to warm slightly to room temperature so the chocolate doesn't crack. Cut into 12 (or more) squares, and serve. Saves well in a covered container in the fridge for about a week, or in the freezer indefinitely. Enjoy!

Some helpful hints:
1. This recipe is a little time consuming, with all the refrigeration. To make it easier on yourself, cook the base the night before, and prep the rest in the morning when the cake has had all night to set.
2. This is a seriously decadent dessert. It makes 12 large squares, but they can be cut into smaller squares.