Coconut Cream Bars
I found this recipe in Martha Stewart's magazine 8 years ago and I've made it every year at our family Thanksgiving (and often Christmas) gatherings. It is delicious!
I found this recipe in Martha Stewart's magazine 8 years ago and I've made it every year at our family Thanksgiving (and often Christmas) gatherings. It is delicious!
- 6 large egg yolks
- 2 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
- 3 boxes (5.3 oz each) shortbread cookies or 1 package of pecan sandies
- 1 cup + 2tb granulated sugar
- 6 tb cornstarch
- 4 1/2 cups whole milk
- 6 tb cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream or whipped cream
- 3 tb confectioners sugar
- 1 cap vanilla (not in the original recipe but makes a big difference!)
- Carbohydrate 60.4950437499964 g
- Cholesterol 883.406729153774 mg
- Fat 43.6905502034694 g
- Fiber 2.44726491405964 g
- Protein 14.3694710416157 g
- Saturated Fat 20.7467581719196 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (181g)
- Sodium 265.291979166007 mg
- Sugar 58.0477788359368 g
- Trans Fat 1.94474975799284 g
- Calories 688 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350. Spreadh coconut in an even layere on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring once or twice, until golden (8-10 minutes).
- CRUST: Process cookies and 1/2 cup coconut in a food processor until finely ground and mixture begins to clump together, about 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to a 9x13 rimmed baking sheet; press into an even later on bottom. Let cool.
- CUSTARD: Whisk together the granuated sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large saucepan. Whisk in milk, egg yolks and vanilla. Cook over medium, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 3 minutes more. Remove from heat. Add butter, whisking until combined. Stir in 1 1/2 cups coconut.
- Spoon the custard onto cooled crust; smooth top with a spatula. Press plastic wrap directly onto custard surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refridgerate until set, about 3 hours.
- WHIPPED CREAM: Beat cream and confectioners' sugar in a large chilled bowl until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- Cut custard-filled crust into 24 bars (each about 3 by 1 1/2 inches). Transfer to a platter. (OPTIONAL) Spoon whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip. Pipe a zig-zag pattern over each bar. (Or otherwise spread whipped cream over bars). Sprinkle bars with remaining 1/2 cup coconut.
Toasting flaked coconut at 350 degrees Fahrenheit triggers the Maillard reaction, transforming bland starches into complex, nutty aromatic compounds before moisture hits the baking sheet. Shortbread cookies blended with a portion of these toasted flakes form a stable, high-fat structural base. Butter in the crumbs solidifies as it cools, anchoring the crumb layer against the heavy moisture of the filling.
Whole milk and egg yolks combine with cornstarch to build a stable thermal gel. Whisking continuously over medium heat prevents the starch granules from clumping while allowing them to swell and trap liquid. Removing the pan from the heat precisely at the boiling stage stops the starches from breaking down and thinning out. Incorporating cold unsalted butter off the heat adds emulsified fats that smooth the mouthfeel, while a direct layer of plastic wrap pressed onto the warm custard surface blocks condensation from forming a watery skin during the three-hour refrigeration window.
Chilled heavy cream whipped with confectioners' sugar yields rigid peaks that provide a dairy-rich counterweight to the dense, sweet starch layer. Serve these chilled bars alongside unsweetened black coffee or bracingly tart citrus fruit salad. The bitterness of roasted coffee beans cuts through the high sugar content, and bright acid cleanses the palate after dense saturated fats.
The Stovetop Custard Process
Whole milk and egg yolks combine with cornstarch to build a stable thermal gel. Whisking continuously over medium heat prevents the starch granules from clumping while allowing them to swell and trap liquid. Removing the pan from the heat precisely at the boiling stage stops the starches from breaking down and thinning out. Incorporating cold unsalted butter off the heat adds emulsified fats that smooth the mouthfeel, while a direct layer of plastic wrap pressed onto the warm custard surface blocks condensation from forming a watery skin during the three-hour refrigeration window.
Textural Contrasts and Pairings
Chilled heavy cream whipped with confectioners' sugar yields rigid peaks that provide a dairy-rich counterweight to the dense, sweet starch layer. Serve these chilled bars alongside unsweetened black coffee or bracingly tart citrus fruit salad. The bitterness of roasted coffee beans cuts through the high sugar content, and bright acid cleanses the palate after dense saturated fats.
