Aloha Paradise Bars: A Vacation for Your Mouth

Summer is vacation time for many of the world's inhabitants.
Summer is not vacation time for most farmers - including us.

So, sometimes, you may need a little taste of the tropics without leaving home. That kind of taste vacation doesn't provide any stunning vacation photos. But, if you close your eyes, these Aloha Paradise Bars may work for taste. And with Kansas' humidity this summer, it could feel like the tropics - minus the ocean, the sand between your toes and the palm trees. OK, never mind!

I found the recipe in the Stafford County Hospital's Cookbook: Working Hands, Caring Hearts. The recipe was from my friend, Shari Chansler, who, with her husband, Jim, owns our awesome hometown grocery store. Don't you just love using tried-and-true recipes from friends via community cookbooks?

I first made these bars for Memorial Day weekend and shared them with my family. Then I made some and included them in my freezer stash for harvest. There were definitely days when we needed a vacation from harvest woes. To paraphrase an old bubble bath commercial: Oh, Aloha Paradise Bars, take me away! I'm not sure it worked for the guys, but it was worth a try.

The bars start with a sugar cookie mix. Yes, we can all make sugar cookie dough from scratch, but sometimes we need a vacation and shortcut in the kitchen, too. Then, macadamia nuts, flaked coconut and dried pineapple mingle on top with white chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk for a taste of the tropics - whether you're eating them in a beach chair or finishing up another meal to the field with the car trunk as the dining room table.

Aloha Paradise Bars

Recipe from Shari Chansler

from the Stafford County Hospital Cookbook: Working Hands, Caring Hearts

1 pouch (1 lb. 1.5 oz.) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 12-oz. bag white vanilla baking chips
1 cup coarsely chopped dried pineapple
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13- by 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. In bowl, combine cookie mix, butter and egg until soft dough forms. Press dough into the bottom of the baking pan. Bake 15 minutes.

Remove from oven. Sprinkle with white chocolate chips, pineapple, coconut and nuts. Drizzle evenly with condensed milk. Bake 30-35 minutes longer or until light golden brown. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack. Cut into bars.

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Today, I'm linked to Weekend Potluck, hosted by these bloggers. Check out the tried-and-true recipes from them and other foodies!

• Served Up With Love ~ Melissa
• The Country Cook~ Brandie
• The Better Baker ~ Marsha
• Sweet Little Bluebird~ Mary
• Mommy’s Kitchen~ Tina