Coocoo Bars

Makes twenty four 2 – inch bars

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7 1/2 ounces)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
dash of cayenne pepper
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large eggs plus 1 egg white lightly beaten
1/3 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 ounces semisweet or dark chocolate chunks (1 cup)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Toast coconut on a rimmed baking sheet, stirring 2 to 3 times, until light golden, about 4 to 6 minutes.
2. While coconut toasts, cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13 by 9-inch baking pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and fit into width of baking pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet (if using extra-wide foil, fold second sheet lengthwise to 12-inch width). Spray foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, and peppers together in a medium bowl; set aside.
4. Whisk melted butter and sugars together in medium bowl until combined. Add eggs, pumpkin, ginger, and vanilla and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture until just combined; do not over mix. Fold in chocolate and coconut, and turn batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with a rubber spatula.
5. Bake until top cracks a bit and becomes golden brown around the edges, 26 to 30 minutes; do not over bake. Cool on wire rack to room temperature. Remove bars from pan by lifting foil overhang and transfer to cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Recipe by Cristina Paul

***Though many purists may scoff at the use of canned rather than fresh pumpkin in any recipe, these sweets have so little of the stuff that it’s not worth roasting a whole pumpkin.
**Did you know that Napoleon Bonaparte’s hunger for power is inadvertently responsible for modern day canning? In the late 18th century Napoleon was concerned about feeding his troops. So he offered a cash prize to whoever could develop a reliable method of food preservation. Nicolas Appert thought of preserving food in bottles, like wine. After 15 years of experimentation, he realized if food is sufficiently heated and sealed in an airtight container, it won’t spoil.
* Never cover an opened metal can with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator. This is an invitation for botulism – which is no country club. Be safe; use a rubber… or a plastic… any tupperware will do.