Recipe: Called to the bar...

These are buttery, delicious, and easy to make. They cut beautifully and keep for two to three days if wrapped well. The buttery base is the simplest I’ve come across and tastes delicious. I made a small batch, ½ a Swiss roll tin, 13 x 4½ inches, so double the recipe if you want more. If you don’t have a small rectangular tin, just line and ½ a tin and use something solid to stop mix spreading.
120gr cream flour
90gr brown sugar
½ tsp salt
113gr melted butter
Pre-heat the oven to 185C.
Line the base and up both ends of a smaller tin as suggested with parchment paper.
In a bowl just mix the ingredients by hand until they come together then press into the base of the tin.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until light brown, remove from the oven and allow to cool whilst you prepare the filling.
2 small or medium free-range eggs
200gr condensed milk
60gr cream flour
45gr dark brown sugar
60gr melted butter
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
150gr desiccated coconut
50gr shaved coconut
150gr raspberry jam
Reduce the oven temperature to 160C.
Sprinkle the shaved coconut onto a non-stick tray and cook in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes until golden. Then allow to cool.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk the eggs, condensed milk, flour, butter, sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth.
Add the desiccated coconut and stir well.
Scrape the mix into the prepared tin and spread evenly.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Once cool, spread the top with raspberry jam then sprinkle with toasted coconut.
The raspberry jam on top makes these bars look very pretty and interesting, but is a little messy if you want to bring it in a lunch box or transport easily. If you need to have them on the go, try spreading the cooked base with the raspberry jam, then top with the coconut mix and sprinkle with untoasted shaved coconut and then bake.
You can email Mercy Fenton at mercy@wickeddesserts.ie