There are cookies, and there are Christmas cookies. Christmas cookies incorporate things like cinnamon and cherries and ginger and cloves, or take the form of stars or trees or candy canes. They are decidedly festive, and just looking at a Christmas cookie reminds a person that December 25th is right around the corner.
Cookies, on the other hand, are standard dessert fare, with ingredients ranging from chocolate chips to coconut to rice krispies. Who says, though, that regular cookies don’t warrant a spot in the holiday spread? December, for me, has been quite the baking marathon, and I am living proof that sometimes even the most dedicated Kitchen-Aid devotees among us need a little break. Rolling and pressing and cooling and frosting becomes more a chore than a relaxing afternoon in the kitchen. So, as my final cookie of the Christmas season, I baked up these Hello Dolly bars, found on the Homesick Texan blog. Because, Christmas-y or not, no one can argue with big blocks of chocolate, butterscotch, coconut, pecans, and sweetened condensed milk.
“HELLO, DOLLY” BARS (makes 25 squares)
From Homesick Texan
1 1/2 C crushed cinnamon graham crackers (about 8 graham crackers)
1/2 C butter, melted
1 C chocolate chips
1 C butterscotch chips
1 C sweetened shredded coconut
1 C chopped pecans
10 oz. sweetened condensed milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and make graham cracker crumbs in the food processor.
Melt butter and pour in graham cracker crumbs until both are evenly combined. Press mixture into the bottom of a greased 8 x 8 square pan. Layer on coconut, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and pecans, then pour sweetened condensed milk over the mixture as evenly as possible. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. Cool completely, cut into squares, and store in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature (they’re also good straight out of the fridge, or frozen, if that’s your thing).
Merry Christmas, folks. May your day be merry, your heart be light and your sugar coma be so very, very delicious.
I make these every year! We call them ‘magic bars’… and they include everything except for the butterscotch chips. Very delicious
My mom likes to think that they are her recipe, but I know they came from the Eagle Brand condensed milk label. Haha!
Merry Christmas Christine!
It’s so nice to see you back where yoouuu belong. (Your post got me singing!)