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Gooey Chocolate Shortbread Bars

Gooey Chocolate Shortbread Bars start with the buttery, shortbread crust. And end with the topping that's filled with brown butter, oats, chocolate, and coconut. Melt in your mouth good. Recipe at KathleensCravings.com #kathleenscravings #shortbread #shortbreadbars #coconutdesserts #barrecipes #oatrecipes #brownbutter
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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Gooey Chocolate Shortbread Bars start with the buttery, shortbread crust. And end with the topping that's filled with brown butter, oats, chocolate, and coconut. Melt in your mouth good. Recipe at KathleensCravings.com

Ingredients

Shortbread Crust

  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 14 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold, 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
  • 1/3 cup white granulated sugar

Brown Butter Topping

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar (I used dark, but light will work)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/3 cups rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet. Dark or milk will also work)
  • powdered sugar (optional, to finish)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with parchment paper. Lightly spray with cooking spray.
  2. Make the shortbread crust: Cut the butter into chunks. In the bowl of your food processor add all shortbread ingredients - flour, salt, sugar, and butter. Run the processor until the dough comes together and forms large chunks. This usually takes a good minute or two, but I promise it will come together. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking dish and press evenly along the bottom and about 1/4 inch up the sides. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until very pale golden on top.
  3. While the shortbread is baking, make the filling. First, add the white and brown sugar to a large heatproof bowl. Set aside. Next, brown the butter. Melt the butter in a light colored saucepan or skillet (using a light color vs nonstick makes it easier to see the color of the butter as it browns). Melt the butter over medium heat, stirring frequently until the butter turns an amber and golden brown bits form at the bottom. About 5 minutes. Be careful, it will go from brown to burnt very quickly. Remove from heat and pour over the sugar. Stir together.
  4. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir until combined. Next, stir in the oats, coconut, and chocolate chips. Pour the mixture over the par-baked shortbread crust.
  5. Return the bars to the oven and bake for another 25-30 minutes. The top will be golden, firm, and set when you jiggle the pan. They will continue to set up as they cool.
  6. In order to cut them easily, allow them to cool completely. Once they have slightly cooled at room temperature, you can put the dish into the fridge to speed up the process. Once cool, cut into bars. If desired, use a fine mesh sieve to dust with powder sugar right before serving.

Notes

Leftover bars can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days... but they won't make it that long 🙂

Nutrition

Keywords: Chocolate Shortbread Bars, Shortbread Bars with Coconut, Chocolate Coconut Shortbread

Find it online: https://kathleenscravings.com/gooey-chocolate-shortbread-bars/