Shortbread alone is a treat, but when topped with layers of caramel, chocolate and toasted coconut, it becomes akin to a candy bar. Using mini chocolate chips makes this recipe super easy — they melt right into the cookie.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr |
| Active: | 15 min |
| Yield: | 12 pieces |
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (see Cook’s Note)
- One 11-ounce bag caramels, pieces unwrapped
- Nonstick cooking spray, for spraying the spoon
- 1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving about a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. Spread the coconut in a single layer on a baking sheet and set aside.
- Beat the butter, vanilla and salt with an electric mixer on medium speed in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix on low until just incorporated. Beat in the flour in 2 batches to make a smooth dough.
- Lightly flour your hands and press the dough into the prepared baking pan. Bake the shortbread until the edges are firm and the top is dry, 28 to 30 minutes. Top the shortbread with the caramels in an even layer. Return to the oven along with the baking sheet of coconut and cook, tossing the coconut once, until the caramels are melted and the coconut is golden, about 10 minutes.
- Spray the back of a spoon with cooking spray and use it to spread the caramel all over the shortbread. Sprinkle with the chocolate and let sit until the chips are melted, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the toasted coconut and let cool completely, about 1 hour.
- Using the foil overhang as handles, lift the shortbread out of the pan and cut into 12 pieces.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 12 servings |
| Calories | 449 |
| Total Fat | 25 g |
| Saturated Fat | 15 g |
| Carbohydrates | 56 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 35 g |
| Protein | 4 g |
| Cholesterol | 42 mg |
| Sodium | 132 mg |
Reviews
So easy and delicious. I used a short read recipe I already had made but it worked beautifully. The caramels were easy to work with as long as you follow directions. I added toasted pecans for extra deliciousness.
This was super easy to make. Sure the caramels were a little tricky to spread, but any of the shortbread that crumbled was covered by the chocolate and coconut. I used full size choc chips and they melted perfectly. Also, my first batch of coconut burned in the given 10 min; so watch it closely. The shortbread is thick and perfectly buttery and crumbly. I absolutely would make these again maybe with some chopped pecans mixed in with the coconut.
Did not like this recipe. Flavor is good but super hard to eat with all of that caramel.
The shortbread turned out very dry and crumbly. I did as the cook’s note said and was careful to not add too much flour.
Great cookie but soft caramels are hard to work with. They don’t spread very well. I plan to make again by pouring melted caramel or using caramel sauce instead.
Easy to make. Instead of coconut, I sprinkled chopped pecans on top. Very tasty!!
Don’t like the taste of soft caramels. I would use caramel sauce. Is that ok?