Leslie Karst here, pleased as piña colada punch to welcome the fab Peggy Ehrhart to the Kitchen! Not only is she providing a recipe for mouth-watering piña colada bars, but she's also giving away a copy of Christmas Scarf Murder to one lucky commenter! (See giveaway at end of post.) Take it away, Peggy!
In Death by Christmas Scarf, Knit and Nibble member Roland DeCamp serves no-fuss snowman cookies that he has cleverly created using ready-made sugar-cookie dough, ready-made vanilla icing, and shredded coconut. For a picture of them and illustrated directions for making them, visit the Christmas Scarf Murder page on my website.
I made the cookies myself, of course, to test out the process and to get the photos, and I ended up with a great deal of leftover shredded coconut, which I’ve been storing in my freezer, casting about for other things to do with it.
The novellas in Christmas Scarf Murder are all set at Christmas, but the weather is too warm in September to think about holiday-themed recipes. Instead, I came up with Piña Colada Bars, evoking the tropical drink and perfect for the summery days we’re still having in New Jersey. They’re based on those yummy lemon bars with a lemony layer atop a shortbread crust.
One can scarcely think of a recipe idea that someone else hasn’t thought of too, and sure enough there are recipes for Piña Colada Bars out on the internet. This recipe, however, is my own version.
Piña Colada Bars
Ingredients
For the shortbread crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
10 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
For the topping:
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp. butter, melted
2 cups crushed pineapple, drained
3/4 cup shredded coconut, divided
NOTE: A 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple will yield exactly the amount of pineapple you need when drained. You will also end up with a nice amount of juice to drink.
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Make the shortbread crust:
Combine the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and stir to mix. Add the 10 tbsp. melted butter together with the vanilla and stir to blend. The dough will be stiff.
Turn the dough into a buttered 8” x 8” baking pan and use your hands to press it down smoothly. It should cover the bottom of the pan.
Bake it in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. It will not be brown when ready to come out.
While it bakes, make the topping:
Using an electric mixer, beat together the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, the egg, and the 2 tbsp. melted butter.
With a spoon, gently stir in the pineapple and 1/2 cup of the shredded coconut.
Spread the topping evenly over the baked shortbread crust. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup shredded coconut on top.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. The edges will be slightly brown when it’s done and the topping should be firm, not jiggly.
Wait until it’s thoroughly cool and then cut it into 8 bars—or more for smaller servings. (See photo at top.) And here’s a close-up:
Readers: For a chance to win Christmas Scarf Murder, the new Kensington release featuring Christmas-themed novellas by me, Maddie Day, and Carlene O'Connor, answer this question: Do you have a favorite holiday recipe? (Please include your email address so I can contact you if you win.)
About Peggy and Her Books:
Peggy Ehrhart is a former English professor who currently writes the Knit & Nibble mystery series for Kensington. The eighth book in the series, Death of a Knit Wit, appeared in March and her Christmas novella, Death by Christmas Scarf, is included in Kensington’s just-released Christmas Scarf Murder. Her amateur sleuth, Pamela Paterson, is the founder of the Knit & Nibble knitting club, and Peggy herself is a devoted crafter. Visit her at www.PeggyEhrhart.com
I'm so trying this! I think my family would love it.
ReplyDeleteWe do cookies and candy a lot for holidays- fudge, divinity, peanut butter balls, caramels (the apple cider caramels especially became highly requested), and for our holiday dinner dessert we seem to try a new recipe every year. I'm thinking I might insist on doing the dessert this year and make these pina colada bars.
kozo8989(at)hotmail(dot)com
Thanks for your comment! I think the best holiday meals are a blend of tradition and invention--like you suggest...maybe Christmas is always roast beef but Christmas dessert is always a surprise. For Thanksgiving I have fun working cranberries into unexpected places.
DeleteCongratulations on the new book and thanks for the recipe. One of my favorite holiday recipes is a yule log. ckmbeg (at) gmail (dot) com
ReplyDeleteI've always loved the yule log dessert idea. They seem so glamorous and French, but I've never been brave enough to make my own.
Deletethank you for sharing this recipe. looks yummy and will need to give it a try. thank you for sharing one of your books here. quilting dash lady at comcast dot net
ReplyDeleteI see you are "quilting-lady." My mom was a fabulous quilter and I was just inspecting a quilt she gave me 40 years ago. It is, sadly, much the worse for wear but has given my husband and me a great deal of pleasure, which I guess is the point.
DeleteThis is a recipe I’ve given out many times, but it’s still by far one of my favorite holiday desserts. It’s supper easy and it brings back fond memories of my Mom’s fresh grated coconut cake she made for the holidays. This adaptation not only makes all that hard work of cracking, peeling and grating a coconut, but it also HAS to be make three days ahead of time. That step alone can be a lifesaver during the holiday season when you have all the irons in the fire and time is limited. You can bake this cake ahead of time and then not be hurried last minute having to make a dessert.
ReplyDeleteCan’t wait to try this delicious sounding recipe. I just know we will love it and it will become one of my regular easy desserts.
Three Day Coconut Cake
Ingredients
1 box of Duncan Hines Butter Cake mix
3 pkgs of the fresh frozen coconut (freezer section at WalMart usually during holidays or Kroger year round) thawed
8 ounces of sour cream
2 cups sugar
Directions
Prepare cake mix according to package directions.
Recipe calls for 3 layers – this gal now used the 9 X 13” pan and then just split the cooled cake into two layers.
Cool 10 minutes and then cool on racks.
While cake is baking make the icing.
Mix the sour cream and sugar stirring until sugar dissolves – DO NOT BEAT.
Then stir in the thawed coconut and place in refrigerator until ready to ice cake.
When cake has cooled spread icing onto cake already on cake plate that has a sealed cover like Tupperware. Top with layer(s) and finish icing. Cover with lid, seal and place in refrigerator for a minimum of three day before eating. I check once a day and if any liquid comes off cake I spoon back to top of cake. If you do the sheet cake with two layers, you can also put first layer back in pan, put half the icing mixture, top with top layer and then top with remaining icing. Doing it this way you don’t need to check it daily. Just put in refrigerator and forget it for 3 days.
After three days, you will never know there is sour cream in the icing and it’s the best moistest cake you will eat. It will just continue to get better. It will never dry out. The longer it sits the better it gets IF you can have it last long enough to find that out. It also freezes very well.
Thank you for this wonderful chance to win a copy of “Christmas Scarf Murder”, which is most definitely is on my TBR list. Can’t wait for the opportunity to read and review it.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
Another thing to do with shredded coconut! Thank you so much!
DeleteWhen I had turned 21 my favorite drink was the pina colada and then I got a little older and stopped totally drinking due to meds that I was on. This sounds so good and so easy to make . I have a favorite apple pie that I made I saw Mr Food on one of the newscasts and he had a lady on their who had been making apple pies for her family for years. The secret is she uses 3 different apples when making her apple pie and it was so good. Thank you so much for offering a print copy of your Christmas book. peggy clayton ptclayton2@aol.com
ReplyDeleteThey are non-alcoholic--guaranteed. The multi-apple idea for pie sounds intriguing.
DeleteYes, we do have a favorite holiday recipe. It is a dessert salad: Cherry Coke Salad. It has cherry Jell-o and Coca-Cola for liquid to make the gelatin. It also has diced cream cheese, diced sweet dark cherries, and chopped pecans. It is a family favorite and we have it on special occasions.
ReplyDeleteNancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
The color is very festive too, I would imagine!
DeleteThese look SOOOOOO good, Peggy--thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting me!
DeleteNope no holiday Recipe. cheetahthecat1982ATgmailDOTcom
ReplyDeleteMexican wedding cookies are my favorite deborahortega229@yahoo.com the above recipe looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteI recently made some Mexican-style sugar cookies from a recipe in the newspaper, and the fun thing was that the dough was tinted several different colors. It was just food coloring, but it made them very festive. I know the wedding cookies are different, with the powdered sugar that would give them a fun snowball effect for Christmas.
DeleteMy favorite holiday recipe is pumpkin pie and pumpkin bars! Thanks so much for the chance!!!
ReplyDeletejarjm1980(@)hotmail(dot)com
My husband and sometimes leave our Halloween pumpkin uncarved and then steam the flesh to use for Thanksgiving goodies.
DeleteMy favorite is probably sweet potato pie. More popular than pumpkin in our house. Thanks for the recipe, and the chance to win. massage_goddess02@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteI have made sweet potato pie and I agree that it really is more delicious than pumpkin.
DeleteMy favorite holiday recipe is my grandma’s sandtart cookies.
ReplyDeleteKitten143 (at) Verizon (dot) net
Yes, holiday recipes that are linked to grandma or another beloved relative really are extra special.
DeleteGoing to gather all of the ingredients and make this - our favorite holiday dessert is the Cape Cod Cranberry Nut Bundt cake
ReplyDeleteroseb2007@verizon.net - sorry for the first comment I forgot my email - Going to gather all of the ingredients and make this - our favorite holiday dessert is the Cape Cod Cranberry Nut Bundt cake
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a true New England classic!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun end of summer dessert! I always like to make my grandmother's spritz recipe at the holidays! Thanks! Jholden955(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteYes! Somehow snowy days call for cozier ingredients.
DeleteMy husband's paternal family is of German ancestry and they have a holiday dessert called cherry torte that has been passed down from generation to generation. Now I make it for this generation and plan to pass it down to my daughter. It just wouldn't feel like the holidays without it. cherierj(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteSounds delicious! I just put a Black Forest Cake in the Knit & Nibble mystery I'm writing now--it features a chocolate and cherry combo that also seems very German. (That's my heritage too: Ehrhart!)
DeleteI don't really have a favorite holiday recipe. During the holidays my family has turkey dinners and pies for dessert! lindaherold999@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteDo you have a favorite pie?
DeleteNow all we need is rum!
ReplyDeletelibbydodd at comcast dot net
My favorite Christmas recipe is the peppermint bark I make every year. My email address is brotherdswoman22000@yahoo.com
ReplyDelete