Tropical Bars

This one is a splurge for sure! It's perfectly sweet and tasty and frankly, it is quite challenging to eat only one square. Make sure you pick the ripest mango and pineapple so their fruity flavors really shine through.

Makes 16 or 20 squares

For the base:

• 1 cup sifted flour = 100 g de farine tamisée
• ½ cup butter, softened = 115 g de beurre, ramolli
• 3 tablespoons confectioners sugar = 3 cuillères à soupe de sucre glace

For the topping:

• 2 eggs = 2 oeufs
• ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar = 175 g de sucre
• ¼ cup flour = 30 g de farine
• ½ teaspoon baking powder = ½ cuillère à café de levure
• pinch salt = une pincée de sel
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract = 1 cuillère à café d'extrait de vanille
• ½ cup chopped macadamia nuts = 50 g de noix de macadamia concassées
• ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut = 40 g de noix de coco râpée
• ⅓ cup chopped pineapple = 65 g d'ananas coupé en petits dés
• ⅓ cup chopped mango = 65 g de mangue coupée en petits dés
• ¼ cup dark chocolate chips = 50 g de chocolat noir

Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, butter and sugar until smooth. Spread thin in an 8” square pan, lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

Beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl, add flour, baking powder and salt, and stir well. Fold in all remaining ingredients (except chocolate) and spread mixture over baked base. Put back in the oven and bake for another 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes. Then lift out of pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Melt chocolate and drizzle over cooled pastry. Let chocolate harden for a couple hours and cut into 16 or 20 squares. Enjoy!