Coconut & Chocolate Fudge Bars

Crust:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F, with the rack placed in the middle of the oven. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overlap on the sides. Spray the foil with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together oats, coconut, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir melted butter it into the oat mixture until combined well. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and press it firmly until it forms a flat crust.

Bake the crust until golden brown, 9 to 11 minutes. Cool completely on a rack, about 1 hour.

FIlling:
In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, instant espresso or instant coffee, and salt.

Combine chocolate chips and butter in a medium bowl. Melt in the microwave, stirring frequently, 1 to 3 minutes. The mixture will be thick. Scrape the chocolate mixture into a large bowl and let cool for about 10 minutes. Whisk in the egg until thoroughly combined. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Spread the chocolate mixture over the cooled crust.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle coconut over top and gently press the coconut into the chocolate layer with the back of a spoon. Bake for additional 15 to 20 minutes, covering the pan with foil when the coconut is light golden brown (after about 10 minutes). Watch carefully so that the coconut does not burn.

Place the pan on a cooling rack and let rest until completely cool, about 2 hours. Holding onto the foil edges, remove the bars from the pan and cut into 16 squares. Serve.