Pink. I hate it. It’s yet another carry over from my childhood. Every time I wore any shade of fuschia, magenta or bubble-gum some well-meaning adult would put a hand to my forehead and ask me if I was feeling all right. Classmates? They’d just tell me to get a tan. Hear encouragement like this a few hundred times growing up and you learn to loathe pink in all its rosy glory.
But when it comes to food? I’m a little more accepting. I figure pink’s okay if it goes in me, not on me.
These Pink Angels (also known as Pink Sink or Pink Ladies*) are a classic Canadian goodie most often found at church functions. Exceptionally sweet, these squares have no nutritional value, will corrode your tooth enamel before you’ve swallowed, and can send your blood sugar through the roof. However, if you like your sweets sweet, you’ll find them so tasty you’ll be willing to risk it all — even the red food colouring.
Got a colour you hate? Go on vent. Then have one of these. They’ll sweeten you up again right away.
Pink Angels
Makes 30 to 36 bars.
*I’ve decided to use the term Pink Angels since they’re pink, exceptionally sweet, and you have to beat the devil out of the icing.
Base
- 1 cup graham wafer crumbs
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp flour, heaping
Middle Layer
- 2 cups coconut
- 1 can (330 mL) sweetened condensed milk
Icing
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup icing sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- few drops red food colouring
- 1 tsp vanilla
Base
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the graham wafer crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar and flour. Press firmly into a greased 8-inch square pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand until cool enough to touch.
Middle Layer
- Reduce oven to 350 F while base cools.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the condensed milk and coconut by hand until well blended. Spread on the graham base.
- Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until the coconut layer is golden around the edges.
- Place on wire rack. Cool thoroughly before icing.
Icing
- For best results, use a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. To get the icing light, beat the icing for a good 2 minutes after each addition.
- Beating the butter for 2 minutes.
- While beating, add the icing sugar a few tablespoons at a time. Once it’s all added, beat for 2 minutes.
- Add the milk and beat for 2 minutes.
- Add the food colouring and beat for 2 minutes.
- Add the vanilla and beat for 2 more minutes.
- Spread the icing over the cooled coconut layer. Cut into squares before serving.
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{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
Dear Charmian,
I found these are better at room temp than right out of the fridge.
Love from your sweet tooth sister.
@Robin Smart, we make a great team. I like them cold from the fridge, so I get the first round. You like them room temp, you get the second round. Between the two of us? We’ll keep the dentist happy.
Hey Charmian!
It’s been a while. But, I just had to comment on this recipe! U had me at ‘beat the devil out of the icing’! I’m a horrible baker, but love sweets… so I will be trying this one… let’s hope it comes out right!
@Angelique from Bitchin’ Kitchen, great to hear from you. Have fun making these. As long as you let the coconut layer cool before adding the icing it’s hard to go wrong with this recipe.
delicious dessert
lovely pink
@torviewtoronto, thanks. It is a pretty pink providing I’m not wearing it.
Can I go to your church? I’ve never seen anything this good at any church basement reception I’ve been to.
Love the pink! I only embraced it when I became pregnant. Go figure.
@Aimee @ Simple Bites, did you embrace pink because you were having a girl? Just curious.
I’ve been to a lot of funerals lately. From what I can tell this square is popular with Lutherans. There’s gotta be a better way to conduct food research.
Those are absolutely gorgeous! I’m drinking a cup of coffee and sooo wish I had one right about NOW!!
@Jenny (VintageSugarcube), you won’t need sugar in your coffee with one of these on the side.
Delicious! These beautiful pink squares are masquerading as “angels” but they’re really devils in disguise! They are making me want them right now…! lol
@Jessica, you nailed it!
Christie, this looks so delicious! I love such cakes and I`m going to do this soon! Thanks for sharing
@Paula, hope you like them. These are very sweet, so you either love them with a passion or move quickly onto the shortbreads.
These look AMAZING!!!!!!
@Leanna, it’s the icing, isn’t it? I’ve seen versions with just a smear of icing and am not tempted. But this? Go big or go home with these guys.
I want to know what is Icing Sugar is it the course sugar??? I want to make these for a bake sale for work to earn money for our kitchen equipment. We are earning the money ourselves to get the updated equiment we need for our oudated kitchen. In October we are having a Pink bake sale since October is Cancer month. I need more recipes than are PINK.
Thanks, Mary Ann
@Mary Ann Cormican, icing sugar is also called confectioner’s sugar. It’s a powdery sugar used for icing and frostings.
Good luck with your fund raiser!
The pictures are lovely and I love pink..But you did reminded me of my daughter. Most of the time I dressed her up in pink and she did not mind when she was a little girl. But know that she is 21 years old she can not stand pink and any color closer to pink. What a big damage I have done to my daughter
I still think pink is beautiful on her but she doesn’t agree with me. Sorry your post bring some of my memories back..
I am going to try your recipe ASAP because of my love for this color:)
@filiz, your story made me smile. When I wear pink I look very pale, but I adore pink flowers and have my garden crammed with pink roses, phlox, echinacea, checker mallow, hollyhocks, weigela, spirea…
Hope you like the recipe. And make that icing as pink as you like. I’m sure your daughter will find pink in this form acceptable.
While I don’t quite share the same thoughts on the color pink, I do think these bars look awesome!!! These turned out so cute and sound amazing!
I’m betting you look great in pink
These bars really stand out amidst a sea of brown cookies. If you do make them, I’d love to know if you think they taste as good as they look. Happy baking.
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