Discovering something new to bake is half the fun of attending potlucks. I’m always on the lookout for new recipes that others might enjoy. One of my servers gave me this recipe, which her grandmother has been making for as long as she can remember. I took these bars to a recent potluck supper, where they drew raves and more than a few requests for copies of the recipe.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 20 bars

　　

Crust

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

　　3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

　　2/3 cup firmly packed golden brown sugar

　　1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

　　

Topping

1/2 cup granulated sugar

　　3 large eggs

　　3/4 cup chocolate malted milk powder

　　1/4 cup all-purpose flour

　　1 teaspoon baking powder

　　1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

　　2 teaspoons vanilla extract

　　1 cup chopped pecans

　　1 cup sweetened shredded coconut (optional)

　　

Icing

3 tablespoons chocolate malted milk powder

　　1 tablespoon instant espresso coffee powder

　　2 tablespoons hot water

　　2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

　　1 teaspoon vanilla extract

　　1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

　　Pinch of kosher salt

　　

Step 1

TO MAKE THE CRUST: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 1 3/4 cups flour, 3/4 cup butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and beat on medium speed until the mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into an ungreased 13 by 9-inch pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Maintain the oven temperature.

　　

Step 2

TO MAKE THE TOPPING: In the same (unwashed) mixing bowl used for the crust, beat together the granulated sugar, eggs, the 3/4 cup malted milk powder, 1/4 cup flour, baking powder, the 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the 2 teaspoons vanilla on medium speed until combined. Stir in the pecans and coconut, if desired. Spread the mixture over the baked crust. Bake until the topping is set, 25 to 35 minutes more. Cool.

　　

Step 3

TO MAKE THE ICING: In a large bowl, whisk together the 3 tablespoons malted milk powder, instant coffee, and hot water. Whisk in the 2 tablespoons butter, the 1 teaspoon vanilla, the powdered sugar, and the pinch of salt until smooth. Spread evenly over the bars. (Thin it with a few drops of water if it is too thick to spread easily.) Let the icing set for about 15 minutes, cut the bars, and serve. (The bars can be made up to 3 days in advance.)

　　Pastry Queen Parties by Rebecca Rather and Alison Oresman. Copyright © 2009 Rebecca Rather and Alison Oresman. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved.A pastry chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author, native Texan Rebecca Rather has been proprietor of the Rather Sweet Bakery and Café since 1999. Open for breakfast and lunch daily, Rather Sweet has a fiercely loyal cadre of regulars who populate the café’s sunlit tables each day. In 2007, Rebecca opened her eponymous restaurant, serving dinner nightly, just a few blocks from the café.  Rebecca is the author of THE PASTRY QUEEN, and has been featured in Texas Monthly, Gourmet, Ladies Home Journal, Food & Wine, Southern Living, Chocolatier, Saveur, and O, The Oprah Magazine. When she isn’t in the bakery or on horseback, Rebecca enjoys the sweet life in Fredericksburg, where she tends to her beloved backyard garden and menagerie, and eagerly awaits visits from her college-age daughter, Frances.Alison Oresman has worked as a journalist for more than twenty years. She has written and edited for newspapers in Wyoming, Florida, and Washington State. As an entertainment editor for the Miami Herald, she oversaw the paper’s restaurant coverage and wrote a weekly column as a restaurant critic. After settling in Washington State, she also covered restaurants in the greater Seattle area as a critic with a weekly column. A dedicated home baker, Alison is often in the kitchen when she isn't writing. Alison lives in Bellevue, Washington, with her husband, Warren, and their children, Danny and Callie.