Cran-raspberry coconut slices are a great idea for cookie exchanges, parties, lunch boxes or after school snacks. You can use any jam or fruit flavor you like to customize these little coconut treats!
Cranberry and raspberry come together with coconut to create these delicious cran-raspberry coconut slices.
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I’m entering the LA Times Holiday Cookie Contest again. I was lucky enough to have had one of the winning cookies last year with my snow cookie recipe.
So, I decided to give it another go with my cran-raspberry coconut slices. These “bars” are perfect for the holidays. Bring a plate to a neighbor, make them for a cookie exchange, or potluck at work. They quickly disappeared at my daughter’s Teacher Appreciation Luncheon a few days ago.
This cookie is adapted from a recipe my mother used to make, which uses apricot jam and nuts, however, I love cranberries for the holidays, and since my daughter is allergic to nuts, I often substitute coconut instead (not to mention I adore coconut)!
Cran-Raspberry Coconut Slices
Recipe by Christina Conte – makes about 30 slices
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
Base
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 to 2 tbsp ice water
Preheat oven to 350º F
Place the flour, butter and sugar in a bowl, then cut in the cold butter with two knives, until pieces are very small.
Now, rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers until the mixture is very crumbly, then add the egg yolk and a tablespoon of ice water and mix well.
If the dough doesn’t come together easily, add more water, but do not overwork the pastry dough or else it will become tough.
Divide the dough into halves and shape into long sausages, then place on flour dusted surface to roll out to about 1/4″ thick and 3″ wide, and the length of the cookie sheet. Raise edges of pastry a little all the way around the perimeter (so the fruit filling will be contained). Place both bases onto Silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet.
Filling
- 1 cup cranberry sauce
- 3/4 cup raspberry jam
Mix the cranberry sauce and jam together until well combined, and spread evenly and not too thickly, on top of both bases.
Topping for the Coconut Slices
- 1 egg white
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp almond meal (almonds are not nuts, although some nut allergy sufferers are also allergic to almonds)
- flaked or shredded coconut (unsweetened, organic is preferred)
Beat the egg white in a medium bowl until thick and foamy.
Add the powdered sugar and almond meal and mix well.
Spread carefully over the cranberry-raspberry filling. Sprinkle with coconut.
Place on bottom rack of oven and bake for 20 minutes, then turn 180º and place tray in center of oven for another 10 to 15 minutes, checking every 5 minutes, so that the coconut doesn’t burn. It the coconut is turning too dark, cover loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil.
Remove from oven. Slice into 1″ pieces while still warm and before removing from the tray. Move the cran-raspberry coconut slices to a cooling rack with metal spatula. Finally, try the cookies before you store them in an airtight tin for up to 5 days (if they last that long)!
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Cran-Raspberry Coconut Slices
A delicious bar slice cookie that's perfect for the holidays.
Ingredients
BASE
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 to 2 Tbsp ice water
Filling
- 1 cup cranberry sauce
- 3/4 cup raspberry jam
Topping
- 1 egg white
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp almond meal (almonds are not nuts, although some nut allergy sufferers are also allergic to almonds)
- flaked or shredded coconut (unsweetened, organic is preferred)
Instructions
BASE
- Preheat oven to 350º F
- Place the flour, butter and sugar in a bowl, then cut in the cold butter with two knives, until pieces are very small.
- Now, rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers until the mixture is very crumbly, then add the egg yolk and a tablespoon of ice water and mix well.
- If the dough doesn't come together easily, add more water, but do not overwork the pastry dough or else it will become tough.
- Divide the dough into halves and shape into long sausages, then place on flour dusted surface to roll out to about 1/4" thick and 3" wide, and the length of the cookie sheet. Raise edges of pastry a little all the way around the perimeter (so the fruit filling will be contained). Place both bases onto Silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet.
FILLING
- Mix the cranberry sauce and jam together until well combined, and spread evenly and not too thickly, on top of both bases.
TOPPING
- Beat the egg white in a medium bowl until thick and foamy.
- Add the powdered sugar and almond meal and mix well.
- Spread carefully over the cranberry-raspberry filling. Sprinkle with coconut.
- Place on bottom rack of oven and bake for 20 minutes, then turn 180º and place tray in center of oven for another 10 to 15 minutes, checking every 5 minutes, so that the coconut doesn't burn. It the coconut is turning too dark, cover loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil.
- Remove from oven. Slice into 1" pieces while still warm and before removing from the tray. Move to cooling rack with metal spatula. Store in airtight tin for up to 5 days.
Notes
Use blueberry or strawberry jam for an alternative.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 32 Serving Size: 1 cookieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 111Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 31mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 11gProtein: 1g
Nutrition information is only estimated.
Only In LA…
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the LA aqueduct, 100 mules walked through the streets of Glendale last week.
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just like my Mom used to make…she passed away when I was 17 and I was not able to get some of her special recipes as my father threw them out…THANK YOU SO MUCH
That is so sad, Ina! That’s a double loss. Hope you can find some of her old recipes, bit by bit. xx
These Cran-Raspberry Coconut Slices look like winners to me! So glad I participated in the bake sale on Tina’s blog, that’s how I found out your amazing blog. Thank you for your supports in the Online bake sale. :)
Thank you, Amy! That’s so sweet of you! I’m really happy to help and hope we raise a lot more than Tina’s goal! CC
This is literally making me crazy, I have to make these asap. I love the way they look, and I have a weakness for jam bars.
Sharing them on fb now, too!
Don’t let them make you crazy, you just need to make THEM. :) Thank you for sharing, too! CC
This is a winning recipe in my book… all my favorites.
Let’s hope you’re right! :) Thanks, Cathy! I always appreciate your support! xx
Looks like you may be in the running again this year. ;)
Love the idea of the pics. Must EVERYTHING revolve around food? (Don’t answer that.)
Haha!! Almost everything revolves around food…right? Thanks, Adair!!
Thanks so much for sharing about the Online Bake Sale for the Philippines here, Christina! I really appreciate your help in promoting this cause to help typhoon Haiyan victims in my beloved native country!
Absolutely no problem!! So happy to help!
Best of luck with the cookie contest, these are a winner in my opinion, Such a great combination of flavors. they are as beautiful as I am sure they are delicious. Look forward to the online auction,
Coming from a Food52 Winner, that means a lot to me, Suzanne! ;) So glad you’re checking out the cookie auction for the Phillipines! Thank you!
Good Luck on the competition – these look fantastic and also very festive! I love the combination of raspberry and coconut, there should be more desserts with this combo! :)
p.s. I really like the idea of the Only in L.A photo at the end…I think it is fun to mix up food photos with your surroundings!
Oh yay (for both comments)! Thank you so much! My current cereal obsession at a local grocery store is a Coconut Cranberry Granola! I <3 coconut so much!!
There’s never a shortage of interesting photos from around here, so I though readers would like to share my days in LA ;)