Gingerbread Chocolate Magic Bars

Preheat oven to 350ºF and place pecans on a small baking sheet. Cook until golden brown and toasted, about 8–10 minutes. Roughly chop and set aside.

In a large pot set over high heat, whisk together all of the topping ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Turn heat down to medium and simmer for 10–15 minutes, stirring frequently, until sauce is reduced by about half.

Transfer sauce to a large measuring cup to cool while you make the crust. Note: You should have about 1 1/4 cups of sauce left after cooking it (see notes). Make sure to stir occasionally as it cools.

Line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang up the sides to use as a handle when you remove the bars. It helps to spray the bottom of the pan with spray before putting in the parchment paper, to secure it.

In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat coconut oil and honey until smooth and creamy. Stir in flour, coffee and pinch of salt until a wet dough forms.

Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the pan. This will be a little bit tough, just be patient with it. I found it easiest to use the palms of my hands, and rinse them off every so often, until the dough was pressed in.

Bake crust just until lightly golden brown, about 7–8 minutes.

As soon as the crust comes out of the oven (see notes), sprinkle chopped nuts on top and lightly press them into the crust. Sprinkle on the chocolate chips.

Pour the slightly cooled coconut milk mixture evenly over the top of the surface. Gently shake the pan around until coconut milk mixture begins to sink between the layers.

Place into the oven and bake until sides are lightly golden brown, about 27–28 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Cover with tinfoil and refrigerate overnight (see notes).

The next day, run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan, and pull the bars out with the parchment paper handles. Slice into bars and devour.

Notes:
• As with all gluten-free baking, please weigh your flour to ensure accurate results.
• You want to make sure you don’t overcook or undercook, so I recommend cooking for 10 minutes, measuring the sauce and then adding pack into the pan and cooking just a few minutes, continuing to check, until you have 1 1/4 cups. Cooking times will vary based on the size of your pot.
• If your crust rises in spots, quickly use a small spoon (or your fingers if you’re a daredevil like me) to press it back down flat before sprinkling on the nuts.
• You need to let these sit overnight to make sure the coconut milk really has a chance to chill and thicken.