Choco-Cherry-Coconut Bars

We’re still working on building our Christmas cookie collection over here. Shamefully, I think I’m eating as many cookies as I’m saving for cookie platters. I have a sneaking suspicion that my weigh-in at my next prenatal appointment is going to be a shocker. Do you think I can blame it on the baby?? A wild holiday growth spurt, perhaps?

Though I may be taste-testing an excess of these holiday goodies, I’ve got to say they’re being thoroughly enjoyed. And if you’re going to indulge in holiday treats, these next cookies make it worth it! This recipe comes from my mom, whose recipe card notes that it originally came from a package of Durkee coconut. I’m not sure Durkee even makes coconut anymore, but my family has been making these delicious cookie bars for as long as I can remember. How can you go wrong with a mix of chocolate, cherries, and coconut? The best part is that these are cookie bars, which means you just press the dough into a baking dish, bake, and slice. No floured tables, no rolling, no cookie-cutting, no decorating. This is my kind of simple recipe!

I made a few tiny adjustments to the recipe, mostly related to the quantities of the fillings and the baking time. The original recipe also calls for chopped walnuts, which I omitted since one of my cookies recipients is allergic to nuts. If nut-allergies aren’t an issue in your home, go ahead and throw in about a half-cup of chopped walnuts! Finally, I like using a disposable aluminum baking dish for this recipe, since it gives you a little more flexibility in popping out the baked dough for slicing.

Choco-Cherry-Coconut Bars

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 2 sticks Butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 3/4 cup Chocolate Chips
• 3/4 cup Sweetened Flaked Coconut
• 1/2 cup Marashino Cherries, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 13×9 inch baking dish with vegetable shortening. In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside. In another bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for another minute or two, until well-blended. Gradually blend in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips, coconut, and cherries. Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish in an even layer. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool completely in the baking dish. Then, carefully invert over a cutting board. Make 4 cuts lengthwise and 8 cuts across to form 32 cookie bars.

Makes 32 Cookie Bars