Aloha

Our P. E. O. Chapter celebrated our first meeting of the fall with a Hawaiian themed meeting.  While we didn't do any hula dances, we greeted each member with a lei and enjoyed tropical flavored refreshments. My part was these Coconut Macadamia Nut Bars, with lots of butter, sugar, cream they are deviously rich and yummy with coconut and macadamia nuts to add taste and texture. We also served mini fruit kabobs, mixed nuts and more macadamia nuts, and a sparkling pineapple punch. 

COCONUT MACADAMIA NUT BARS

 

Ingredients

Crust: 

2 cups flour

2 sticks cold butter, cut into pieces

⅔ cup powdered sugar

 

Coconut topping: 

½ stick butter (1/4 cup)

½ cup packed brown sugar

¾ cup canned cream of coconut

¼ cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 ⅔ cup sweetened flaked coconut

1 ⅓ cup macadamia nuts, large pieces halved

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 °. Grease or line 9 x 13-inch pan with nonstick foil or parchment paper. 

2. In food processor, pulse together flour, 2 sticks of butter and powdered sugar till butter is the size of small peas and mixture resembles cornmeal. Pat into bottom of prepared pan (the dough will be crumbly). Bake 20 minutes. 

3. Melt the half stick of butter in a saucepan. Remove from heat. Add brown sugar, and stir till dissolved. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Pour topping over crust. Reduce oven temperature to 325 °. And bake about 40-50 minutes till bars are lightly browned. 

4. Cut into bars when cool. These freeze well. 

 

Yield 24 bars. 

Recipe from thatskinnychickcanbake.com