Oatmeal and Coconut Raspberry Bars

I've really been on a baking kick lately. I want to learn how to bake as well as I cook! The only thing I don't like is that if you mess up with baking, more often than not you can't recover from it. With cooking you can usually mess around and find a solution. But this recipe turned out very well! Except that I burnt the first batch of coconut. So just make sure to watch it! For me, I think it is a little bit sweet & rich, but definitely the flavor it's going for. It was relatively easy for a baking recipe, and if someone asked for it I'd make it again. But like I said, it's awfully rich. Scott would give it a 4/5, I would say 3/5 so I'll compromise at 3.5/5 overall!

Oatmeal and Coconut Raspberry Bars

Oatmeal and Coconut Raspberry Bars--adapted from *Simply Scratch*

Total Time: 45 Minutes

Makes 24 bars

• 1-1/2 cups Sweetened Coconut Flakes
• 1-1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1-1/2 sticks Unsalted Butter, chilled
• 1-1/2 cups Old Fashioned Oatmeal
• 8-10 ounces Seedless Raspberry Jam
• 1 bag frozen raspberries
• 8 ounces of Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
• 1/4 cup Milk

Spread out 3/4 cup of the sweetened coconut onto a small un-greased cookie sheet. Place in the center of your oven and toast for 6-8 minutes, tossing it every 2 minutes. Watch carefully. Remove and let cool.

In a large bowl combine the flour, brown sugar and salt. Mix and then cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender. Then add the oats and toasted coconut. With your hands, blend together until large clumps form. Place mixture in a parchment paper lined 13x9 pan. Press down with fingers. Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a small pan; add jam and raspberries. Mash the berries and stir. Heat just until the jam mixture is thinned out. Remove from the heat.

In a large mixing bowl add in the cream cheese and powdered sugar, mix until combined and slowly add the milk. Mix on medium speed until creamy.

Spread the Raspberry mixture over the oatmeal and coconut crust. Then repeat with the cream cheese mixture, and sprinkle with remaining coconut. Place in the 350 degree oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating the pan half way through. Let cool completely. Remove the bars using the parchment paper as handles, cut into bars and serve.