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Hello Dolly Bars (aka Magic Cookie Bars)

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You may have heard these called Hello Dolly Bars, or Magic Cookie Bars, but either way this recipe goes WAY back to the 1960's *(See Food Nerd Notes). Something that enduring must have SOMEthing going for it, right?  Well truthfully, if you have a sweet tooth, what's not to love?  Coconut (God's gift straight to me), chocolate chips, sweet Southern pecans - all made into a moist, chewy cookie bar? Gracious goodness.  You'll be sorry if you don't make these this instant!!

There are a couple of really cool things about these bars - 1. You mostly likely have all the ingredients on hand right now. 2. They take all of less than 10 minutes to throw together. 3. They are AMAZING - just the perfect thing to hit the spot on a nice Sunday afternoon!

Ingredients:
  • 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 3 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • 1 (10 oz) bag pecans, chopped
  • 1 (12 oz) bag semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 cans sweetened condensed milk




Step-by-Step:

In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar.
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup butter

...melted

3 Tbsp sugar
 Stir with a fork to combine.
Will resemble coarse sand.
Press firmly into the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
Consider using a meat pounder or even a glass to press it firmly into the pan... if the crumb layer is not pressed really tight into the pan, it will crumble when you try to remove them.

Spread the chopped pecans over the crumbs, followed by the shredded coconut and chocolate chips.  Pour the condensed milk evenly over the top.
1 (10 oz) bag of chopped pecans

1 cup shredded coconut

1 (12 oz) bag of semisweet chocolate chips

Try to NOT lick the lid... resist... it will cut your tongue! :)

2 cans sweetened condensed milk (crack!)


Bake 35 - 40 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. 
I put aluminum foil around just the edges for the last 5 - 10 minutes so I could get equal browning on the middle section without over browning the edges. 

Cool before slicing.
Can't you just TASTE this deliciousness?!!  Where is the milk?










Written Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar.  Press firmly into the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.  Spread the chopped pecans over the crumbs, followed by the shredded coconut and chocolate chips.  Pour the condensed milk evenly over the top.

Bake 35 - 40 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.  I put aluminum foil around just the edges for the last 5 - 10 minutes so I could get equal browning on the middle section without over browning the edges.  Cool before slicing.  Makes about 18 servings (but they are so rich, that I actually cut them into 36 squares).
Food Nerd Notes -
To the best of my knowledge, Eagle Brand condensed milk was the first place this recipe can be found.  Over 150 years ago (1856), the sweetened condensed milk was invented by Gail Borden.  His creation had little to do with baking, but rather his goal was to invent a stable milk product to address the lack of refrigeration.  He later began selling the product from the back of a pushcart in New York City for 25¢ a quart, and people were mainly using it in coffee, tea and cocoa. Throughout the Civil War and both World Wars, Eagle Brand became a precious source of milk and sugar, which were both in short supply.

Post WWI prosperity brought refrigeration to most kitchens and desserts to many family tables.  Eagle Brand was then re-invented as "the dessert-maker," with many sweet applications.  In 1931, the Borden kitchens began offering homemakers $25 for their original recipes and received over 80,000!  The "Magic Cookie Bar" or "Hello Dolly Bar" was one of these recipes that debuted in the 1960s.

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