White-Chocolate Coconut Cream Bars
24 bars
Coconut cream filling
½ cup heavy cream
8 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
1¼ ounces (scant ½ cup) unsweetened finely shredded dried coconut
White-chocolate shortbread layer
Butter for pan
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
6 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
1/3 cup sugar
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups cake flour, sifted then measured
Dark ganache topping:
½ cup heavy cream
3 ½ ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
To make the filling: In a saucepan heat cream over medium-high heat just until it begins to simmer. Remove
from heat, add white chocolate and stir until smooth and melted. Stir in coconut. Pour into a small bowl and
cover with plastic wrap touching the top of the chocolate. Let sit at room temperature at least 3 hours.
2. To make the shortbread layer: Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch sheet pan or quarter sheet pan. In a food
processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse the semisweet chocolate for 1 minute. Place in a small bowl, removing
any larger pieces, and reprocess those briefly. (Be careful not to overprocess.) The finished chocolate should be
ground to pieces about 1/16 to 1/8 inch. Set aside.
In a double boiler, melt the white chocolate over low heat. Remove the top of the boiler when chocolate is
nearly melted and continue stirring until glossy and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. Return to the double
boiler only briefly if chocolate begins to set up.
In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream sugar and butter on medium-high speed. Add melted and
cooled white chocolate and blend thoroughly on medium-high speed. Add sifted cake flour and processed dark
chocolate. Mix on low speed until dough begins to hold together. Remove from mixing bowl and gently knead a
few times to thoroughly mix. Press dough evenly into the bottom of prepared pan. Refrigerate or freeze until
firm.
To bake bars: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Bake the chilled shortbread
crust until lightly golden and slightly puffed, about 25 minutes. Cool completely in the pan.
To assemble bars: Place coconut cream filling in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium speed, scraping
the sides of the bowl several times, until filling is lighter in both color and texture, less than 1 minute. Spread
filling evenly and smoothly over baked, cooled shortbread layer.
To make ganache and finish bars: In a pot heat cream over medium-high heat until it begins to simmer. Remove
from heat and stir in finely chopped chocolate until smooth. Let cool until about 80 to 85 degrees. Slowly pour
over the coconut filling, spreading evenly to the edges. Let set at room temperature about 1 hour, or place in
refrigerator to cool quickly, about 20 minutes. To cut, score filling with a sharp knife where you wish to cut.
Then slice through base with a long, sharp blade. Remove bars with a spatula. Store in a sealed container in
refrigerator as long as a week.
Seattle Times from "Pure Chocolate" by Fran Bigelow