Cherry Coconut Bliss Bars with White Chocolate and Almonds

So what exactly are Cherry Coconut Bliss Bars with White Chocolate and Almonds?

• These bars are a type of layered cookie bar or dessert bar that is baked in a pan and then cut into single-serving portions, or bars. It’s very similar to a blondie. These bars have 3 layers. There is a buttery bottom crust that includes white chocolate. The center layer is a layer of cherry preserves. Then there is a top crust with white chocolate, coconut flakes, and sliced almonds. 

Ingredients for Cherry Coconut Bliss Bars with White Chocolate and Almonds

Melted Butter – You can use salted or unsalted butter for the butter mixture in the recipe. I typically have salted butter on hand and that is what I use. But haven’t found that it makes much of a difference either way. 

White Chocolate Chips – White chocolate chips typically come in an 11-ounce bag, so that’s what I use in the recipe. But if you have a bag that contains a little bit more or a little bit less, that’s fine, too. And if you can’t find chips, you can cut up white chocolate bars into chopped white chocolate chunks. 

Eggs – You will need regular large eggs. If using medium eggs, add an extra egg. 

Sugar – Use any granulated sugar of your choice. I prefer to use raw or unrefined cane sugar because I like that hint of molasses flavor it contains. But regular white granulated sugar will work just fine, too. 

Flour – Just regular all-purpose flour is what you need for this recipe. I typically use unbleached flour. 

Salt – Any fine salt will work. I like fine salt because it blends more thoroughly into the dry ingredients. But if you are using a coarse salt like kosher salt, add an extra small pinch of salt to the recipe.

Almond Extract – I prefer to use pure almond extract, but imitation almond extract will work, too. You probably know this already, but almond extract has a very potent flavor, so don’t be tempted to use more than the recipe calls for. And if you aren’t a fan of almond extract, go ahead and substitute vanilla extract. 

Shredded Coconut – Use the dried sweetened shredded coconut or dried sweetened coconut flakes. Fresh coconut won’t work here. 

Cherry Preserves – You’ll need jarred cherry preserves to make these bars. Cherry pie filling or fresh cherries won’t work for this recipe. 

Sliced Almonds – Pre-sliced almonds are what you will need. I typically find these in a small plastic bag at my grocery store. Toasted almonds have even more flavor, so If you can find toasted, sliced almonds that’s even better. 

Add the batter in dollops on top of the cherry filling. It’s ok if there are spaces – they will fill in as the bars bake.

Tips for making these cherry bars:

• For best results, take a few minutes to bring the eggs to room temperature. It’s an extra step, but room-temperature eggs will blend into the batter better and improve the texture of the crust. To make it easy, I usually fill a small bowl with warm water and allow the eggs to sit in the water for about 10 minutes, or until they no longer feel cold. 
• Grease an 8″x 8″ baking dish thoroughly. You can use butter or nonstick spray for this. Or do what I usually do, and line the pan with parchment paper. 
• Be mindful of your oven temperature. The bars are on the delicate side and you don’t want to burn the crust. So if you know your oven runs hot, go ahead and turn it down 5-10 degrees. 
• Gently melt the butter. You will need melted butter for the melted white chocolate mixture we make as a component of the recipe. You can do this in the microwave or a small saucepan on the stove. If you use the microwave, place the butter in a small microwaveable mixing bowl and heat carefully heat it in 30-second increments.
• Use an electric mixer. When preparing the batter, you’ll want to use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the eggs until foamy. I like to do this using my stand mixer. The bowl of a stand mixer leaves enough room to add in the remaining batter ingredients. But if you don’t have a stand mixer, no problem. Use a large bowl and a hand mixer. 
• Whisk the flour and salt together in a separate bowl before adding to the batter mixture. This ensures the salt is evenly distributed.
• Make sure you only use half of the batter to make the bottom crust. You don’t want to accidentally pour all of the batter into the pan and then have no batter left to make the top crust (trust me, I’ve done this.) The remaining second half of the batter will go on top of the cherry filling to serve as the top crust for the bars. 
• When baking the bottom crust, bake until lightly golden around the edges. Make sure it doesn’t brown too much because it will be going into the oven again with the filling and top crust. 
• Melt the cherry preserves to make them spreadable. You can melt the preserves in a saucepan on the stove over low heat. Or you can place the preserves into a small microwavable bowl and use the microwave on reduced power to gently melt them. Every microwave is different, but I use 70% power in increments of 30 seconds, so as not to scorch the cherry preserves. 
• To prepare the batter for the top crust, use a wooden spoon to gently fold the coconut and remaining white chocolate chips into the remaining half of the batter.
• Watch the baking time. Keep an eye on the bars while they are in the oven to make sure they don’t burn. After removing the pan from the oven, place it on a wire rack to help circulate airflow around the pan and allow it to cool down faster.