Samoa Brownie Cookie Bars

These are so yummy.... they're kind of like those Girl Scout Samoa Cookies, with their shortbread cookie crust, gooey coconut caramel topping and chocolate drizzle, but these naughty little bars sneak in a delightful layer of brownies. Almost like German Chocolate Cake, without the nuts, plus the cookie crust. Whatever you want to call them, these were sooooo good that I had to whisk them out of my house and into the hands of my friends to spread their joyful tastiness, and eliminate the temptation, and what surely would have ended with guilt, of eating the entire batch myself.

Shortbread Crust: (adapted from A Montana Table's Huckleberry Cobbler Crust)

 *12 Tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cold and cut into cubes

 3/4 cups powdered sugar

 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

 *1/2 teaspoon salt 

*If you don't have unsalted butter, use salted butter, and leave out the 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Brownie Layer:

1 package brownie mix, I prefer Betty Crocker's Fudge Brownies or Dark Chocolate Brownies

Water, oil, and eggs called for in the directions on the brownie box

1/4 cup hot fudge ice cream topping, straight from the jar, unheated

Coconut Caramel Layer:

3 cups toasted coconut

1 (17 oz.) jar caramel topping, Mrs. Richardson's Butterscotch Caramel is the only brand I use

Chocolate Drizzle:

1/2 cup chocolate chips 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 300. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread coconut evenly over baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to make sure coconut browns evenly. Set aside to cool. 

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all crust ingredients and cut with pastry knife, or mix with mixer until coarse pea-sized lumps form. Press evenly over the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish. Bake until lightly browned. 

Meanwhile, prepare brownie batter according to package directions, adding 1/4 cup hot fudge ice cream topping, unheated and straight from the jar. Make sure to follow the high altitude directions if you live at high altitude. Pour over shortbread crust and bake as directed, until a toothpick comes out nearly clean with only a few crumbs remaining. 

When brownies are almost finished, scoop caramel topping into a heavy bottomed saucepan and heat over low until caramel is soft and easy to stir. Add toasted coconut and stir gently until evenly mixed. If brownies are not quite finished, keep this warm, stirring occasionally. Keeping the coconut caramel mixture warm will help it to spread evenly without tearing brownies apart. 

Pour coconut caramel mixture over brownies and gently spread evenly over the top.

Place chocolate chips into a zip-loc baggie and put into microwave for 20 second intervals. Squish the bag with your fingers to mix and smooth the chocolate between intervals. When melted smooth, snip a tiny piece off of the corner of the bag and drizzle over bars. Cool. 

I let these cool for a bit, probably half an hour, and then put them if the refrigerator to finish setting, after sneaking a taste, that is. They are super yummy warm, but cut much more neatly if you wait for them to set.

http://www.jaseyscrazydaisy.com/2011/11/samoa-brownie-cookie-bars.html