Scroll to the bottom of the post to get ALL the “12 Days” recipes from 2019 – 2023!
Welcome to Day 5 of
The Twelve Days of Holiday Treats!
Once again, this year, from December 1st-12th I’ll post a new holiday treat recipe every day – inspiration for your holiday entertaining!
The recipes I’m sharing are small-er batch – each recipe makes 1-dozen or a few more smaller-sized treats that are simple to prepare and that use everyday ingredients and equipment so hopefully you’ll be able to whip up any of these on a whim. Check out the treats from 2019 – 2023 at the bottom of this post too for more inspiration!
Today’s treat is one I’ve been working on for a while – I came across a recipe in my mum’s recipe folders and was reminded of this classic slice/ square/ bar that was a staple of childhood bake sales. It’s a soft biscuity (cookie) base topped with raspberry jam (I mean, you could do any jam you like here but I remember it being raspberry) and a coconut-macaroon-y topping that’s baked until it’s crispy and golden.
I played around with different types of coconut to use in the topping – first I used shredded coconut and the shreds made it too hard to cut without the whole thing falling apart. I settled on what I call “desiccated coconut” but it doesn’t go by that name here in Canada at least. The coconut I used was labelled “medium unsweetened” – so if you’re trying to figure out what coconut to use, just don’t use long shreds!
The “short” coconut allows the squares to be cut more easily but DO wait until it’s completely cool to cut as it makes it much easier!
These are pretty easy to make, pack a flavour and texture punch and, for me, were a nostalgic taste of my childhood home.
Raspberry Coconut Squares
Raspberry-coconut squares - easy enough to make as an everyday treat, fancy enough to join your holiday dessert table or cookie exchange!
Ingredients
For the base:
- 57g (1/2 stick/ 4 tablespoons) cold salted butter, cut into small pieces
- 50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 75g (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the topping:
- (60ml) 1/4 cup raspberry jam
- 53g (2/3 cup) desiccated coconut (not shredded)
- 1 large egg white
Instructions
Make and bake the base:
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
- Prepare a 20cm (8-inch) loaf tin by lining it with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on each side so the base is easy to remove.
- Place the butter, sugar, flour and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade.
- Pulse until the butter is cut in, with some pieces the size of peas; the rest will look like coarse sand.
- Add the egg yolk and vanilla and pulse until the mixture just starts to clump together.
- Press the dough evenly into the lined loaf tin.
- Bake at 350˚F for 25 minutes. The base should be golden brown and still slightly soft.
- Remove the tin from the oven, leaving the oven at temperature, placing it on a wire cooling rack while you prepare the topping.
Prepare the topping and finish baking:
- Whisk the egg white in a small bowl until soft peaks form.
- Fold in the coconut, making sure to fold it through evenly.
- Spread the jam on the cookie base, letting it sit for a few seconds before trying to spread it evenly over the base with an offset spatula or the back of a small spoon.
- Spread the coconut mixture evenly over the jam.
- Bake at 350˚F for 15 more minutes until the coconut is golden brown.
- Remove the tin from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool completely in the tin before lifting it out with the parchment “handles”.
- Use a sharp knife to slice into 8-10 squares.
Notes
Squares will keep in the fridge for 5 days. Allow to come to room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
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Stay tuned for tomorrow’s treat!
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Check out 2023’s 12 Days of Holiday Treats:
Day 1: Holiday Speckles
Day 2: Soft Chocolate Mint Sugar Cookies
Day 3: Funfetti Thumbprint Cookies with Ruby Drop Centres
Day 4: Chocolate Orange Creme Cups
Day 5: Chocolate Filled Shortbread Cups
Day 6: Pistachio Fruit Bread Crackers
Day 7: Pistachio Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
Day 8: Iced Mocha Financier Bars (GF)
Day 9: Lemon Meringue Thumbprint Cookies
Day 10: Chocolate Hazelnut Financiers
Day 11: Cranberry, Almond and Pistachio “truffles”
Day 12: Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies (GF)
Check out 2022’s 12 Days of Holiday Treats:
Day 1: Chocolate Peppermint Creme Cups
Day 2: Chocolate-Dipped Wafer Cookies
Day 3: Gingerbread madeleines
Day 4: Funfetti Cookies
Day 5: Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Day 6: Coffee Financiers
Day 7: No-Bake Strawbery Cheesecake Cups
Day 8: Holiday Joys
Day 9: Holiday Spice Marmalade
Day 10: Soft Molasses Cookies
Day 11: Coconut Roughs
Day 12: Holiday Lights Jam Sandwich Cookies
Check out 2021’s 12 Days of Holiday Treats:
Day 1: Speculoos financiers
Day 2: Chocolate Dipped Orange Sugar Cookies
Day 3: Madeleines à la Clémentine
Day 4: Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies
Day 5: Sunbutter and Jam Chocolate Cups
Day 6: Hot Chocolate and Marshmallow Cookies
Day 7: Linzer Cookies
Day 8: Chocolate-Hazelnut Sandwich Cookies
Day 9: Choc-Mint Thumbprint Cookies
Day 10: Pailles (Puff Pastry and Jam Cookies)
Day 11: Strawberry Santa Hats
Day 12: Mulled Wine Jam
Check out 2020’s 12 Days of Holiday Treats:
Day 1: Rice Krispie Wreaths
Day 2: Cranberry Cheesecake Bars
Day 3: Peppermint Bark
Day 4: Orangettes
Day 5: Rocky Road Chocolate Crackle Slice
Day 6: Candy Cane Sugar Cookies
Day 7: Orange Pim’s
Day 8: Mendiants
Day 9: Chewy Chocolate Mint Crackle Cookies
Day 10: Apricot, Coconut and Cranberry “truffles”
Day 11: Chocolate, Cherry and Almond Brownies
Day 12: Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Check out 2019’s 12 Days of Holiday Cookies:
Day 1: Easy Three Ingredient Shortbread
Day 2: Jam Drops
Day 3: Chocolate Caramel Slice
Day 4: Melting Moments
Day 5: White Christmas
Day 6: Langues de Chat
Day 7: Chocolate Coconut Slice
Day 8: Cornflake Biscuits
Day 9: Rocky Road
Day 10: Honey Joys
Day 11: Rum Ball Truffles
Day 12: Giant Florentine Cookie (to share)
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you clearly can’t eat all these goodies day-by-day – so, are the boys at school getting daily treats?
I started working on these recipes back in October, one recipe per weekend so that I had a chance to test them properly. And, I always share with my neighbors!