[Edit 2018: I prefer Dark Chocolate Coconut Macaroons over this recipe.]
I love coconut macaroons, but it’s something I’ve never made. In part, I haven’t made them because Alex doesn’t particularly like coconut, and it would be difficult for me to eat an entire batch of cookies by myself (although I could try). However, I decided a work potluck would be the perfect time to finally make Macaroon-Chocolate Bars. I’d be able to try the dessert that I wanted, but I would have lots of help eating it!
I bought some generic Oreos to crush for the base of these. This base came together rather easily. It was pretty slick with all the melted margarine, so it was easy to pat it into the aluminum-foiled pan. While it baked for 8 minutes, I made the coconut mixture. This did not pat onto the chocolate base very easily; I had to keep my hands pretty wet to spread it out evenly.
I lost track of time so it baked about 27 minutes; I didn’t think they looked done, so I baked it for another 2 or 3. After the bars cooled, I melted chocolate chips and shortening together and drizzled it on the bars. I cut them after chilling them in the fridge for 30 minutes. They were tough to cut through. I pulled the aluminum foil from the pan, set it on a cutting board, and used my biggest, sharpest knife to cut through them.
These were just about the prettiest thing I’ve ever made.
I thought that these tasted good, but I had hoped for a different texture. The crust, since it was made from Oreos and fortified with cocoa powder, had a nice, rich dark chocolate flavor. For some reason, I’d expected something like a thin Oreo brownie; instead, it was crisp and solid. I would have preferred either a crumbly texture or a soft, cookie-like texture. The coconut, although chewy, was not as moist as I had expected. I thought it would have the texture of a Mounds bar, but it seemed a little dry. Even if I hadn’t missed the timer and it had baked only the time listed in the instructions, I think that it would have been more done than I’d expect or prefer.
That said, these had a good taste; they definitely taste like Mounds. They’re also a very put-together cookie for the amount of time I put into them. I might try them again, but I’ll probably underbake them a little to get a softer texture for both the coconut and chocolate layers.
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