By The Singh-family Diwali was Saturday November 11. The catering went smoothly. The dessert table I built had the cardamom-pistachio shortbread, the cardamom-rosewater-pistachio brittle, the new lemon-cardamom-pistachio bar (a hit), and the vanilla ring cake (a centerpiece). The corporate-luncheon November 7 had also gone well. Brayden is one hundred and ten weeks old. The cookbook is at fifteen sales as of this Sunday.
The coconut cranberry bars are a holiday-leaning bar — a shortbread base, a sweetened-coconut-and-condensed-milk middle layer, fresh-cranberries dotted across the top. Baked at three-fifty for thirty-five minutes. The bars are the kind of holiday-dessert that pairs well with coffee on a Sunday afternoon.
The technique question on coconut-condensed-milk bars is the moisture management. The condensed milk binds the coconut into a chewy-set layer. The fresh cranberries release moisture during the bake. The fix is reducing the condensed-milk-and-coconut mixture for two minutes on the stove before pouring it onto the shortbread base, which thickens the binding and absorbs the small amount of cranberry-moisture.
Sunday I made a 9x13 pan. Dustin had three bars. Brayden had a small piece of plain shortbread base (no coconut, no cranberry yet — we are introducing both gradually).
The blog’s small Sunday-publish rhythm continues. The catering business has been the small foreground of the small year’s work. The cookbook in its small online-store. The small recurring-clients (Singh family, Yates family, the corporate-luncheon brokerage) anchor the small reliable-revenue stream. The small one-off-jobs round out the small income.
Carol Bryant has been on the small Friday-call rhythm. Carol calls at five PM Tulsa time (six PM Memphis time). The call lasts twenty minutes. The conversation moves through Brayden, the small Bryant-cookbook collaboration, the small Memphis-news. The small grandmother-relationship continues to deepen.
Coconut Cranberry Bars
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 24 bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cubed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat & prep. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and set aside.
- Make the shortbread base. In a medium bowl, combine flour and powdered sugar. Cut in cold butter using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Bake the crust. Bake the shortbread base for 12–15 minutes, until the edges are just beginning to turn lightly golden. Remove from oven.
- Make the coconut-cranberry topping. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in shredded coconut, dried cranberries, and pecans if using.
- Add topping & bake. Spread the coconut-cranberry mixture evenly over the warm crust. Return to oven and bake for an additional 18–20 minutes, until the topping is set and golden at the edges.
- Cool & cut. Allow bars to cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares. This step is non-negotiable—they hold together much better once fully cooled.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 148 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Carbs: 22g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 72mg