Are you a fan of German chocolate cake? I can’t say it’s my favorite, but it’s definitely tasty and has it’s rightful place among great cake flavors. My dad on the other hand, loved this combo of chocolate cake layered between a decadent coconut and pecan filling. And we usually tried to include one any time we were celebrating him. Today would have been his 75th birthday. And I can imagine what kind of fun celebration it would have been. And more importantly, I know it would have included some delicious food and prize-worthy treats. The best for the best, right? And as usual, I’m sure there would have been some fabulous German chocolate cake at some point.
To say I miss my dad is an understatement and if you’ve followed along here to some of the previous posts, you’d know it’s something I’m still very much trying to come to terms with. Saying goodbye to one of the most important and influential people in your life really does a number on you and colors the world a bit differently from that point forward. But in an effort to bring this post back to my initial intention, to celebrate and honor this larger than life person who’s my dad, I’ll get back to the dessert. After all, his love of treats (as well as my mom’s,) is how I got to this point right here, sharing two things I’m so passionate about with you- food and family.
This year, I thought maybe instead of the cake, I would try something different, something I hope he would have equally enjoyed, these German Chocolate Cookie Bars. And after tasting them, I’m thinking it’s safe to say they would have been welcomed at any of his birthdays. They are so insanely delicious. And have all the markings of his favorite cake, but come in a fun little cookie-sized package. I could just see him right now, cutting off just one more little nibble with a butter knife. He was often found at the counter doing just this. Would never just grab the whole slice, but would savor it little by little over several trips back to the kitchen. Every single one of my five siblings definitely picked up this endearing habit.
Did you know German chocolate cake isn’t actually German at all? It’s an American cake associated with chocolate maker, Samuel German. While he didn’t come up with the creation, a woman by the name of Mrs. George Clay did. She used a dark baking chocolate, developed by Mr. German for Baker’s Chocolate Company, for the cake and her recipe was published in a local newspaper. It became a hit, was shared nationwide and is said to have helped increase the sales of Baker’s Chocolate by about 73%. Enough to make it an American classic for sure. (Though one might argue, it probably should have been named after her. But we will stay on course here.)
I really enjoy learning new things about the foods we love. And even more than that, I love coming up with new creations paying homage to those recipes. These bars do just that I think. They have a rich chocolatey crust, (a crispier form of the dark Baker’s chocolate cake,) and an oozy, goey coconut and pecan topping with bits of more chocolate slightly melted on top. They are something special and I look forward to sharing them with my mom and the rest my family the next time we can all be together celebrating our beloved Papa Smurf. In the meantime, I will enjoy each butter-knife-slivered nibble with my three loves here in Istanbul and salute to the greatest dad a girl could have.
German Chocolate Cookie Bars
These deliciously unique bars have a rich chocolatey crust, (a crispier form of the traditional dark Baker’s German chocolate cake,) and a soft and goey coconut and pecan topping with bits of more chocolate slightly melted on top. So reminiscent of the classic cake combo, but in a cute little bite-sized package.
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 3/4 cups (224g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (25g) cocoa powder (I used dark)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup (170g) cold butter, cubed
For the top:
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 lg egg, whisked
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (60g) shredded, unsweetened coconut
- 1 cup (125g) pecans, chopped
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet mini)
Instructions
For the crust:
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Preheat oven to 350f/177C. Spray a 9×13” pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper going up two of the sides for easier removal.
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Add the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the dry ingredients are completely combined. Then add in all the cold, cubed butter and pulse until it all comes together, almost looking like is starting to form a very loose dough. The butter should now be in little granules and it will all clump together when squeezed in your hand.
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Dump the mixture out into the prepared pan, spread out and press down with your fingers or the lightly oiled bottom of a round glass to create an even crust. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 or 11 minutes. As soon as it comes out of the oven, use a fork to pierce the top a little all over, only pushing down enough to poke the top layer, not go all the way through. (This will help the topping stick, but if you poke all the way down, the topping will leak.). Set aside & turn the oven down to 325F/ 164C.
For the topping:
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While the crust is baking, add the sweetened condensed milk, whisked egg, vanilla and salt to a large bowl. Mix thoroughly to combine the wet ingredients.
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Then add about 3/4’s of the coconut, 3/4’s of the chopped pecans and 3/4’s of the chocolate chips to the bowl. Use a spatula to mix everything together. (Reserve the rest to sprinkle on top.)
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Pour the topping over the still warm crust, and spread to even it out. Then sprinkle the remaining coconut, pecans and then the chocolate chips on top. Place into the preheated oven and bake for about 24 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. If you’re top isn’t getting golden brown, after about 22 minutes, place the pan under the broiler to brown a tiny bit. Keep an eye on it and DO NOT OVERBAKE, as the filling won’t be soft or slighty gooey the way you want it to be.
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The top should be set and slighlty golden brown on top and at the edges. Once done, let cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars.
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They will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about 5-7 days or up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
These sound delicious and what a beautiful tribute recipe to one amazing Papa. Can’t wait to try them. Xoxo!
I think you guys will love these. Love you sugar mama!