Chocolate and Coconut Cream Pie Bars

Short bread crust .... layer of chocolate ganache topped with coconut ... coconut cream pie filling (extra coconutty of course) ... finished off with homemade whip cream! Are you drooling yet? Seriously divine!

Ingredients for the Crust
1 cup butter
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions for the Crust
1. Preheat oven to 350. Cover a 9x13 pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Cut the butter into the flour and powdered sugar. Press into the prepared baking dish (I used a food processor, about 6 pulses). Bake 18-22 minutes or until light brown. Set on a wire rack to cool.

Ingredients for the Ganache
3/8 cup heavy cream
6 ounces semisweet chocolate
Toasted coconut (I always toast mine on the stove over medium low heat), however much you want

Directions for the Ganache
1. Heat heavy cream in a sauce pan over the stove until it bubbles on the edge but DOES NOT boil. Pour over chocolate chips. Let set for about 1-2 minutes. Stir until smooth.
2. Spread over the cooled crust. Top with toasted coconut

Ingredients for the Coconut Cream Filling
6 cups heavy whipping cream
6 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract (or more if you LOVE this stuff like me)

Directions for the Coconut Cream Filling
1. In a medium saucepan, combine heavy whipping cream, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Mixture will become very thick (if you over cook it, it will turn into a curdled mess. If you undercook it, it will be runny ... happy balance).
2. Add the coconut extract (I also added some coconut latte flavoring that Starbucks uses ... if you just ask them for some they will sell some of it for basically nothing. This stuff is delicious and adds more coconut flavor without that extracty taste).
3. Pour over the cooled ganache.

Ingredients for the Whipping Cream (or you can use cool whip or regular homemade whipping cream if you are going to serve this right away)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon cold water (for stabilizing)
1 teaspoon gelatin (for stabilizing)
3-4 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 cup coconut, toasted

Directions for the Whipping Cream
1. Put 1 tablespoon cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top. Let it soften for 2 minutes before microwaving it for 30 seconds and whisking to dissolve the gelatin.
2. Whisk heavy cream and powdered sugar together in a chilled bowl until it forms stiff peaks, stopping to add the gelatin mixture about halfway through.
3. Dollop the cream over your bars and gently spread around. Sprinkle with toasted coconut.
4. Chill in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours to let everything set up.