Margotky: No-bake coconut and rum raisin bars

Tip: tap a step to mark it as done.

1. Grind the Marína biscuits (5 packets) into fine crumbs and place in a large bowl. Stir in the shredded coconut and softened raisins, then sprinkle with rum extract.

   Tip: Soak the raisins in rum ahead of time. If the raisins are hard, soak them in warm water for at least half an hour.

2. Place the granulated sugar in a saucepan, add 150–200 ml water, and bring to a boil. Boil for about 5 minutes to make a syrup. Gradually pour the hot syrup into the ingredients in the bowl, stirring and taking care not to make the mixture too loose. Finally, add the butter straight from the refrigerator.

3. Stir in the butter and let it melt in the hot mixture. Transfer the mixture to a pan lined with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, smooth the surface with a bench scraper, and refrigerate for about two hours to set.

4. The mixture will remain fairly soft but will cut easily. Lift it out of the pan with the lining and cut lengthwise into 4 sections and crosswise into 8 sections to make 32 bars. Reshape the edges as needed.

   Melt the fat in a bowl over steaming water, add the chocolate, stir, and remove from the heat. For coating, place a bar on a bench scraper or spatula.

5. Hold the scraper with the bar over the bowl, pour the chocolate coating over it, and tilt the scraper so the excess chocolate runs back into the bowl. The coating must not be hot, or it will be too thin, so let it cool briefly and rewarm it if needed. Place the coated bars on a wire rack with plastic wrap underneath. Scrape up the chocolate that drips onto the wrap and reuse it.

6. Once the chocolate has set, transfer the bars to a baking sheet and return them to the refrigerator. Margotky keep for a long time; store them in a container in the refrigerator or wrapped in cellophane.

Tip: Melt the chocolate and fat over warm, not boiling, water; keeping the coating from overheating helps it stay glossy and prevents a grayish bloom after it sets on the bars.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Margotky z keksov, kokosu a hrozienok s rumom