Yield: 1-9 x 13″ pan or 24 bars

Our administrative team at school loved these bars that I brought in as an almost-Thanksgiving treat so much that they requested the recipe, which I was happy to share. But first I had to tease them by saying that the key ingredient was tofu (though there is no tofu in the recipe).

This dessert or sweet snack couldn’t be easier or the results tastier. I found the recipe at www.eaglebrand.com/recipes and simply substituted my discovery of Cream of Coconut for the sweetened condensed milk. Once again, it worked beautifully. You might want to visit the site, as there are lots of scrumptious sounding recipes that are all within the vegan’s grasp knowing that Cream of Coconut is a perfect one-to-one substitute for sweetened condensed milk.

1 cup vegan butter (I like Earth Balance), softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups vegan chocolate chips
1-15 ounce can Cream of Coconut
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/3 cups (or so) sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter, powdered sugar and salt in a large bowl until fluffy. Add flour; mix well. Press with floured hands evenly into prepared pan. (I like to flour the bottom of a glass and use it for even pressing.) Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove from oven to wire rack.

Melt chocolate chips with Cream of Coconut in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in almond extract. Spread evenly over shortbread. Garnish with almonds, pressing them down gently, but firmly with the palm of your hand into the chocolate. Cover and chill 3 hours or over night until firm. Cut into bars.

Source: Adapted from www.eaglebrand.com/recipes/details (I simply substituted Cream of Coconut for the sweetened condensed milk)