This traditional bar from the American South combines a crisp coconut shortbread base with a rich cream cheese topping.

Makes 24 bars

PREP TIME: 25 minutes
COOKING TIME: about 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

BASE:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup pecan halves, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

TOPPING:

• 1 ½ pkgs (each 8 oz/250 g) brick-style cream cheese (12 oz/350 g in total), at room temperature
• 3 ¾ cups icing sugar, sifted
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 13-x 9-inch baking pan. Line the base and sides of the pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang of paper on two facing sides.
2. For the base, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat in the butter and egg until well combined and the dough is smooth. Stir in the pecan halves.
3. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan and sprinkle evenly with the coconut. Set aside.
4. For the topping, in a medium bowl and using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the sugar, ½ cup at a time, until completely blended.
5. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Beat in the vanilla extract.
6. Pour the topping over the base. Sprinkle evenly with the coconut. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 45 minutes.
7. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Using the parchment paper overhang, lift the bars from the pan to a cutting board. Cut into 24 bars. Serve cold or at room temperature. BAKING DAY SECRETS: For the neatest bars, put the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes before removing the bars from the pan and cutting them. (The bars can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.)

BAKING DAY SECRETS:

• For the neatest bars, put the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes
  before removing the bars from the pan and cutting them.