Pina Colada Sugar Cookie Bars
A batch of these tropical Pina Colada Sugar Cookie Bars can be made and frosted in one pan. Make these easy cookie bars for summer parties and picnics.
A batch of these tropical Pina Colada Sugar Cookie Bars can be made and frosted in one pan. Make these easy cookie bars for summer parties and picnics.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 tablespoon pineapple juice
- 1 teaspoon rum extract
- for the frosting
- 1/2 cup toasted coconut
- for the bars
- 1 - 8 ounce can crushed pineapple drained very well (save juice)
- 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 24 cherries with stems patted dry
- 24 pieces dried pineapple
- Carbohydrate 35.0916126331226 g
- Cholesterol 20.4715278034129 mg
- Fat 10.3745271144224 g
- Fiber 0.886493555922837 g
- Protein 0.493158146255465 g
- Saturated Fat 7.37773472837656 g
- Serving Size 1 1 cookie bar (56g)
- Sodium 1249.30989924078 mg
- Sugar 34.2051190771998 g
- Trans Fat 0.550123285937457 g
- Calories 229 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray.
- Beat the butter and sugars until creamy. Add the egg and extracts and beat again.
- Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and coconut. Slowly add to the sugar mixture and beat until mixed in.
- Press the cookie dough in the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 14 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.
- Beat the butter, salt, and pineapple until creamy. Add the sugar and pineapple juice slowly and beat until creamy again. Spread on top of the cooled bars.
- Spread the shredded coconut on top of the frosting. Sprinkle the toasted coconut on top.
- Cut the cookies into 24 bars and top each one with a cherry and pineapple piece. Store in a loosely sealed container.
Replacing the standard refined sugar with a heavier proportion of dark muscovado will drastically alter the crumb structure, introducing excess moisture that prevents the base from setting into clean, distinct squares. Achieving the proper density in sheet-pan cookies relies heavily on thorough creaming of the fat and sugars to incorporate air pockets, which are subsequently stabilized by the gluten network in the flour. Overmixing at the flour addition stage develops too much gluten, resulting in tough, rubbery bars rather than a tender crumb. Crushed pineapple contains high water activity that threatens the integrity of buttercreams; draining the fruit thoroughly and pressing it through cheesecloth is mandatory to avoid breaking the emulsion of the frosting. For long-term storage, freeze the baked, unfrosted base wrapped tightly in plastic film for up to two months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before applying the pineapple buttercream and coconut toppings. Ambient storage should not exceed three days due to the perishable dairy components in the frosting and the residual moisture from the fruit garnishes.
