Chocolate-Coconut-Pecan Cookie Bars
In response to yesterday's blog post, my friend Julee Dennis posted my Facebook wall with this simple question: Dana.... where do I find a great Christmas cookie recipe?
Here you go! This is the best cookie recipe I came up with last winter, and one of the best I've ever come up with.
Chocolate-Coconut-Pecan Cookie Bars
2/3 cup Almond Meal Plus (recipe below)
2/3 cup vanilla whey protein powder
1/4 cup splenda
1/4 cup erythritol -- or maltitol
1 stick butter -- softened
1 teaspoon molasses
1 tablespoon water
2/3 cup heavy cream
8 ounces sugar-free semi-sweet chocolate -- I used Nevada Manna chocolate chips from CarbSmart
1 ounce cream cheese
4 tablespoons butter -- softened
1/4 cup Splenda granular
1/4 cup erythritol or maltitol
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract -- optional
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut meat
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x 11 pan with non-stick cooking spray, or line with parchment or a non-stick pan liner.
In your food processor, combine the Almond Meal Plus, vanilla whey protein, Splenda granular, erythritol or maltitol, and butter. Pulse till butter is cut into the dry ingredients. In a small dish, mix the molasses and water till molasses dissolves. Turn on your food processor and drizzle in this mixture while it's running, then turn off processor.
Dump this mixture into your prepared pan, and press out into an even layer. Bake for 10 minutes. While that's happening...
Pour your heavy cream into a Pyrex measuring cup and place it in your microwave. Nuke it for 1-2 minutes on 70% power, or until it just boils. While the cream is heating, dump your chocolate chips and the cream cheese into a medium bowl. When the cream is hot, pour it over the chocolate and cream cheese. Cover the bowl and let it sit for five minutes.
Now whisk the chocolate, cream, and cream cheese together. Spread this mixture evenly over the crust. Stick the pan in the fridge for fifteen minutes, while you...
Use your electric mixer to beat the butter till it's creamy and fluffy. Now beat in the Splenda, erythritol or maltitol, vanilla, and coconut extract if using, till everything's very well combined. Now beat in the eggs. Finally, turn the mixer to low and blend in the coconut and pecans.
Pull your pan out of the fridge, and spread the topping evenly over the chocolate layer. Slide the whole thing back into the oven and let it bake for another 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Set the whole pan on a rack or your stove top to cool before you cut it into bars.
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24 bars, each with: 248 Calories; 21g Fat ; 8g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber;3 g usable carbs
Almond Meal Plus
The inspiration for this was Wise CHOice Cake-ability, a product you can add to nut meal to improve the texture of baked goods.
4 cups shelled almonds
1 cup dried egg white powder
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 teaspoons guar gum
Simply put everything in your food processor with the S-blade in place, and run till you have a meal about the texture of corn meal. Store in a snap-top container in a cool place. If you plan to keep more than a month or two, refrigerate or freeze.
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16 servings of about 5 tablespoons: 235 Calories; 19g Fat ; 13g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber, 4 g usable carb
