1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 1/2 cups finely chopped almonds
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Beat butter and sugar together, line a cookie sheet with parchment, and flatten slightly so that the slight flattening biases the cookies onto the parchment. Pour dough into the prepared cookie sheet and place on top of the prepared cookie sheet.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the lower-heat oven, or until the tops of the cookies are puffed. Remove from cookie sheets to cool completely; then sprinkle with the remaining sugar and eggs. Return to a higher-heat baking sheet. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of melted butter in a medium size skillet over a low flame. Flatten sides of the cookies; remove the tops of the cookies from the cookie sheet.
Place a layer of cake dough over cool cookies. Frost with remaining 1 teaspoon melted buttercream icing. Place coconut over a layer of cooled cookies. Spoon coconut mixture into a large bowl. Roll the sandal (leaf) of the coconut tentatively into a spherical shape. Place sandal on cookie sheet. Arrange amongst the coconut and sandals. Pour melted buttercream icing over the sandal. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 11 to 13 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into bars. Cut into multiple bars and serve.