Lime coconut fig bars are buttery, sweet, and a tropical treat. It might be cheeky to call them lime in the coconut bars but they are a taste of someplace sunny and warm. This recipe may have a few parts but they’re easy enough for this cookie bar to be a candidate for weeknight baking.
Baking Hacks
In this fig bars recipe, create a sling of foil that will over-hang the edges of the pan so you can easily extract the cookie bars from the baking pan. Another tip is that the buttery shortbread cookie dough is processed in a food processor. The cookie dough gets baked first until golden as a way to give the lime coconut fig bars a somewhat sandy texture, while maintaining a soft crumb which you can also thank for the cake flour in the cookie base. Lastly, to ensure a smooth glaze, make sure to sift the confectioners sugar before mixing with the lime juice.
Fig Filling
For the lime coconut cookie bars, we suggest using our Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Dried Golden Figs. Their naturally nutty, tangy, and delicately sweet flavor is a shoe-in for the walnut and coconuts in the filling. If you prefer or happen to have black mission figs on hand, the familiar fig flavor from your favorite childhood cookie with a jammy, more intense sweetness works too.
How to Assemble the Lime in the Coconut Bars
While the cookie base is baked, stir together the filling of figs, coconut, and walnuts with sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, and baking powder. This filling is then poured over the baked and cooled cookie base to bake until it’s set. Finally, cool the bars in the pan for a few minutes before pouring the lime glaze over the top, finishing up the
Who wants a lime in the coconut fig bar?
Coconut Lime Fig Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 2/3 cups cake flour sifted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 11 tbsp unsalted butter cut into 1/2" pieces and chilled
Filling and Glaze
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 4 eggs large
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Figs stemmed and chopped
- 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup walnuts toasted and chopped
- 4 tsp grated lime zest
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar sifted
- 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut toasted
Instructions
For the Crust
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Lay sheets of aluminum foil perpendicular to each other in 13 by 9-inch pan, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Process flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined, about 30 seconds. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 pulses. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and press into even layer. Bake until edges are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Let crust cool in pan for 5 minutes.
For the Filling
- Whisk sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, and baking powder together. Stir in figs, coconut and walnuts. Pour filling over warm crust and bake until filling is set, about 25 minutes. Cool bars in pan for 5 minutes.
For the Glaze
- Combine lime zest and granulated sugar in bowl; set aside. Whisk confectioners’ sugar and lime juice together in second bowl until smooth. Pour glaze over warm bars and spread into even layer. Sprinkle with lime sugar and toasted coconut. Let bars cool completely in pan on wire rack, about 2 hours. Using foil overhang, lift bars from pan and cut into 15 pieces. Serve. (Store bars at room temperature for up to 2 days.)
Notes
Valley Fig Growers is a proud sponsor of Cook’s Country TV.
