Coconut Caramel Bars - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups shredded coconut, toasted, divided
1 cup caramel, divided (about 30 individual caramel candies)
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon milk or 1 tablespoon cream

Preparation

Toast the coconut: Spread coconut in a 9x13\" pan, bake in preheated 300 degree F oven 20-25 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring half way through baking time.
Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and egg, until well blended.
Mix in flour, salt, baking powder and 1 1/2 cups toasted coconut (reserving 1/2 cup for topping).
Spread mixture in un-greased 9x13\" pan, lining with parchment if you desire.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile melt 1/2 (1/2 cup) of the caramel in microwave.
Drizzle melted caramel over baked crust and return to oven for 10-12 minutes or until medium brown and caramel is bubbly.
Removed crust from oven, working quickly, use a heat proof plastic knife (plastic reduces the drag on sticky baked goods), or a bench knife, to loosen the edges of the crust from the pan; cut into 2 dozen bars, leaving them in the pan. (It is easier to cut these bars while still warm).
Sprinkle bars with the chocolate chips.
Allow chocolate chips to soften about 5 minutes, then spread chocolate evenly over bars.
Set aside to cool completely.
Loosen the bars from the edge of pan again, using a flexible spatula to lift the bars out of the pan.
Set on a rack.
Combine remaining caramel with 1 tablespoon milk or cream and heat until caramel is melted enough to pour.
Stir to combine with milk or cream, drizzle over the bars.
Garnish with reserved toasted coconut.