Chef Andre's "Congo Bars" Recipe

Chef Andre Carthen – Photo Provided by Andre Carthen.

Chef Andre’s “Congo Bars” Photo provided by Andre Carthen.

For the crust:
1/4 cup almond meal flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (from about 10 whole crackers)
1/3 cup light brown sugar
7 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan.

For the topping:
1 1/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup chopped pecans, chopped
1/3 cup pistachio nuts, chopped
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

Crust:

Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Butter an 8-by-8-inch or 9-by-9-inch baking pan, dust with flour, and tap out the excess.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Stir in the graham cracker crumbs and light brown sugar and mix well.

Work the butter into the crumb mixture with your hands until the crumbs are evenly coated with buttery goo. Spread the crumb crust in the prepared baking pan, pressing down gently with your hands. You don’t want to make the crust too dense or compact. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the crust is slightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool while you make the topping. Oh, and leave the oven on.

To assemble:

While the crust is cooling, mix together the coconut, both chocolates, and the condensed milk. Add the pecans or other nuts, if desired. Spread the mixture evenly over the warm crust. Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the top is set and light brown. Watch carefully toward the end of the baking time to make sure the top doesn’t become too bubbly or dark.

Let the pan of bars cool on a wire rack for 2 hours or so, until chocolate is no longer soft.
Cut into whatever size or shape you fancy.

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Chef Andre

Congo Bars