Try this Congo Bars recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cup pecans toasted and chopped coarse
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
- Carbohydrate 7.0092136164812 g
- Cholesterol 50.651111110835 mg
- Fat 6.6172905554948 g
- Fiber 0.000368055555555556 g
- Protein 1.22987486088957 g
- Saturated Fat 3.9240650832955 g
- Serving Size 1 1 square (26g)
- Sodium 17.9698194388229 mg
- Sugar 7.00884556092565 g
- Trans Fat 0.543682361108005 g
- Calories 91 calories
Step-by-step
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Toast the shredded coconut on a rimmed baking sheet, stirring 2 to 3 times, until light golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool.
- Spray a 13x9-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and spray the sheets with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk the melted butter and brown sugar together in a medium bowl until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in the pecans and toasted coconut and turn the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula.
- Bake until the top is shiny and cracked and feels firm to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil or parchment and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 1 ½ by 2-inch bars and serve.
Golden-brown edges give way to a dense, chewy interior studded with toasted pecans and shredded coconut, producing a rich confection that bridges the gap between a blondie and a classic cookie bar. Archival references to Congo bars first surfaced in American community cookbooks during the mid-twentieth century as a variation on standard butterscotch brownies, often utilizing pantry staples like brown sugar and melted butter.
Judging Doneness Visually
Visual cues replace internal temperature readings when baking these bars, requiring careful observation of the surface texture rather than a digital probe. Bake the pan on the middle oven rack preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Look for a surface that develops a shiny, cracked top crust, which indicates the sugar has reached the proper stage of caramelization. Press a fingertip lightly against the center of the baked slab between 22 and 25 minutes; the surface should feel firm to the touch rather than yielding or wet.
- Remove the pan immediately if the edges begin pulling away from the sides by more than an eighth of an inch, preventing the interior from drying out.
- Allow the entire slab to cool completely on a wire rack for at least 45 minutes before lifting the parchment sling to ensure clean cuts.
