Chef Chloe's Vegan Beach Cookies

Yum!!!  This recipe is from Chef Chloe's webpage http://www.chefchloe.com/recipes.html.  Check out her recipe page.  She won Food Network's Cupcake Wars with her vegan goodies.  My guests loved these cookie/bars.  I couldn't find any graham crackers that didn't contain honey, so I bought a vanilla cookie wafer.  I also substituted pecans instead of walnuts because I had some waiting in my cupboard. 

Beach Cookies

½ cup vegan margarine (Earth Balance Buttery Spread)

2 cups graham cracker crumbs (any vegan graham cracker or wafer cookie.)

1 cup canned coconut milk

¼ cup agave or maple syrup

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons arrowroot

1 1/2 cups shredded sweetened coconut

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)

2 cups non-dairy chocolate chips

Melt margarine in microwave or over stove and pour into a 9x13" baking pan. Swirl around until the bottom of the pan is completely coated.  Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until they are fine crumbs.  Sprinkle the crumbs evenly into pan until bottom of the pan is completely coated in crumbs. Pat down lightly with your hands.

In a small bowl, whisk together coconut milk, agave, vanilla, salt, and arrowroot.  Drizzle this mixture evenly over the graham cracker layer.  Sprinkle the shredded coconut into the pan, then layer the optional nuts, then the chocolate chips. With the palm of your hand, gently pat the top of the cookie pan so that the chocolate chips get cemented into the rest of the cookie.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until center looks thick and slightly bubbly with very lightly browned edges.  Let cool then refrigerate for a couple hours or overnight. Cut into even bars.