Oatmeal Coconut Raspberry Bars

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread out 3/4 cup of the sweetened coconut onto a small un-greased cookie sheet. Place in the center of the preheated oven and toast for 6-8 minutes, tossing it every 2 minutes. Watch carefully. Remove and let cool.

In a large bowl combine the flour, brown sugar and salt. Mix and then cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender. Then add the oats and toasted coconut. With your hands, blend together until large clumps form. Place mixture in a parchment paper lined 13×9 pan (make sure some of the paper hangs over the ends – you’ll use it as a handle to remove the bars). Press down with fingers. Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a small pan over medium-low heat, add jam, raspberries and lemon zest. Mash the berries with a fork and stir. Heat just until the jam mixture is thinned out. Remove pan from the heat.

In a large mixing bowl add in the cream cheese and powdered sugar, mix until combined and slowly add the whole milk. Mix on medium speed until creamy.

Spread the raspberry mixture over the oatmeal and coconut crust. Then spread on the cream cheese mixture, and sprinkle with remaining coconut.

Place in the 350 degree oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating the pan half way through. Let cool completely. Remove the bars using the parchment paper as handles, cut into bars and serve.