Tia and I both have “real” jobs.  The dreaded “day job.”  But we really don’t dread it that much because we work together and talk about baking a lot.  We have the same job of being supervisors over a staff of 14 each.  Part of our job involves making sure our staff knows how much we appreciate them.  For two chicks who like to bake and try out new recipes, I’ll give you one guess what we do the most for them.

Tia’s goal for 2012 was to make her team a new treat a week.  Some weeks will be her old standbys; the tried and true of her baking repertoire.  Other weeks, she looks for inspiration in other places.  (Can you say Pinterest?)  It’s been impressive to watch the different things she’s tried.

This week was coconut pie bars.  Tia was inspired to try this because it’s the pie flavor I can’t resist.  The creamy middle with the crunchy shreds on top are delish!  Tia was seduced by her favorite baked form, the bar, with its capability to feed more.  (Like a large team.)  Here were the results:

The toasted topping makes a great contrast in color and texture.

Everything is from scratch, of course.  Tia almost broke her arm whisking the custard to make sure it thickened properly and didn’t burn.  But she wasn’t too exhausted to finish it off with homemade whipped cream.  It would have been a crime to add something tragic like Cool Whip.  Oh, the terror of Cool Whip.

I can give you a first hand taste account it was delightful.  The bars served well and get a great shape after sitting on its own plate.  A testament to the success of the filling.  This was definitely a keeper recipe.

Rating:  Super-Delish!