Recipe: Magical Coconut Bars

In preparation for the upcoming holiday, I've been cooking and baking up a storm.  I like to do "trial runs" ahead of time, especially when I'm using new recipes.  Like I am this year.  I think I'm only using one tried and true recipe - for smashed potatoes.  And if I were able to find a way to mess up smashed potatoes, I should be banished from the kitchen.

Since I love the combination of coconut and chocolate, I decided to make Magical Coconut Bars from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Jar.  (Follow the link to see the recipe.  I don't want to publish a recipe from this awesome book without permission.)

My results:

 

Not the most exciting photo, I know.  But I can tell you that people I work with raved about these bars.  As with all of the other vegan recipes I've been making lately, no one could tell they weren't "normal."  

I thought they were just ok.  I used light coconut milk in an attempt to make them less gluttonous, and I feel like it game them an odd flavor.  I also under-baked them accidentally because my oven hates me.  (Time to invest in an oven thermometer!) But...if you're looking for a dessert to make for an upcoming holiday, this is a great recipe.  It makes a heck of a lot of bars (24) and could feed a small army. 

I have a few more trials runs to complete this weekend...stuffing...vegan pumpkin pie cheesecake.  Good thing I'm running in the Pigskin Classic 5K tomorrow morning to at least burn off a few of the calories I'm going to pack on.