I recently saw passionfruit chocolate wafers at the gourmet warehouse in the city and just had to buy them. Since my trip last year to Vietnam where I tried this magical tropical fruit for the first time, I've ever since been hooked. So as soon as I found these little chocolates I was excitedly trying to brain storm recipes that I could make with them. I finally decided to use it to top these already delicious coconut butter bars and I'm so glad I did, what a delicious combination!

👈 This is the passionfruit chocolate I used.

I'll link them here which you can buy from the gourmet warehouse online website.

While your oven is preheating you can start on the shortbread base. Mix the flour, brown sugar, and salt together in a bowl. Set aside for a quick moment and melt the 1 cup butter in the microwave. Then add to the flour mixture. Now that it looks more like dough you're going to press it into the already prepared lined 13x9" baking tray. Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. While the shortbread is in the oven you can start making with your second layer.

For the filling part you will mix together in a separate bowl brown sugar, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, flour, melted butter, vanilla and salt. Then add only 3 cups of the coconut setting the remaining 1 cup off to the side.

Once the shortbread has turned a lightened brown color take out of the oven and let cool for about 10 min. on a wire rack. Turn the oven down to 325°F. The next step for the bars once the base has cooled a bit and the oven has gone down to the new temperature, is to pour the wet coconut mixture over the bottom layer. Then using the remaining coconut, sprinkle evenly over the top. Once that is done you can pop the bars into the oven for about 27-30 minutes until the coconut looks toasted and bars are set.

Let the bars cool in the pan on a wire rack. Once cooled enough to handle you can lift up the parchment paper and transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Once they're ready you can then cut up the bars and either serve as is (which are also super delicious) or make them even more epic and add that passionfruit chocolate drizzle on top.

I put some of the chocolate pieces in a microwave safe bowl and melted it in the microwave for 30 seconds. I recommend then doing additional 10 seconds increments stirring in-between so it doesn't burn. I then spooned it into a small zip lock bag and snipped a small bit off the corner to drizzle over the bars. You can also use a spoon or a mini spatula to stir and drizzle over the bars but it may look a bit messier. Let the chocolate set then serve.

Ah look how tropical and pretty they look! Like vacation in a dessert ;)

Passion Fruit Coconut Butter Bars:

Ingredients:

Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

½ tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

3 large eggs

1 can sweetened condensed milk (300ml)

½ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

3 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

4 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 13x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, letting ends extend up the sides for easy removal.

2. Making the bottom crust first, mix the flour, brown sugar, and salt together. Stir in the 1 cup of butter melted. Press onto bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until light brown. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 min. Reduce the oven to 325°F.

3. In another bowl to make the filling, mix the sweetened condensed milk, eggs, flour, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, and salt together until combined. Stir in 3 cups of the coconut. Pour over the crust then sprinkle the remaining cup of coconut evenly over the top. Bake until light golden brown/toasted approx. 27-30 min. Let bars cool in pan on the wire rack. Lift the parchment paper to remove from pan then cut the bars.

4. OPTIONAL: Melt the chocolate a microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds then add additional 10 second increments stirring in-between until melted. Place chocolate in a zip lock bag and cut a small bit of the corner off. Drizzle over bars and let set then serve to your happy guests :)