Magic Cookie Bars

Here is one of the easiest cookies you can make and everyone seems to love them.  Magic Cookie Bars, Hello Dollies, Christmas Squares, 6 or 7 Layer Bars or whatever regional name they go by are an ooey, gooey, chewy cookie bar that's almost impossible to resist. 

It seems everyone has a recipe for this cookie, some with with minor changes or additions but it's basically the same cookie. Today I used Chipits vanilla flavoured holiday chips to replace some of the semi-sweet chips.  I thought they would lend a festive holiday look to the cookies.  I don't particularly like the vanilla flavoured chips but I was gifted with 4 or 5 bags of them and thought I'd use some this way.  Mixed in with the real chocolate they were really good.

I have a little recipe booklet published by the Borden company sometime in the 1970s, as far as I can tell, where all the recipes use 1 can of Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk.  I couldn't find any publishing information and looking for a publishing date or copyright was like looking through a "Where's Waldo?" book.   I've used this little booklet for many years usually making the Magic Cookie Bars.  But there are a few more good recipe that will eventually show up on this blog. 

The original recipe instructions are a little different as you melt the butter in the pan, then layer the crumbs, condensed milk, chocolate chips, coconut and nuts in that order.  I mixed the butter and crumbs and pressed them in the pan before layering.  I also poured the milk on last.  I think next time I'll try it the original way to compare the difference.  Either way, you have a great cookie for any occasion. 

Printable recipe at end of post.

Magic Cookie Bars

• ½ cup butter or margarine, melted
• 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or more!
• 1⅓ cups flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 1 can or 1¼ cups Sweetened Condensed Milk

How to make it:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees for glass dish). Coat 13x9-inch baking pan with no-stick cooking spray and line with parchment paper for easy removal.
   

Method #1: Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over top of crumbs. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts. Bake as below.

Method #2: Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over top. Bake as below.

  
Bake 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars, squares or diamonds. Store covered at room temperature.

Makes about 28 bars or 35-42 squares.

I find the cookie is easier to serve when the crumbs are patted down instead of sprinkled on top of the butter.

Method #1: Pour sweetened condensed milk over the base and then sprinkle on the nuts, coconut and chocolate chips.

Method #2: The layers are all laid down first before pouring on the condensed milk.

Method #2: Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the nuts, coconut and chocolate chips. You can see I made half the pan using the Christmas coloured chips.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden.  

On the left the sweetened condensed milk was poured over the crumb base (Method #1).  On the right the sweetened condensed milk was poured over the nuts, chocolate chips and coconut (Method #2).  Either way produces a very tasty cookie.

Cool to at least room temperature before cutting into bars.  

I trimmed off the crusty sides for a great little snack.

Ooey, gooey, chewy Magic Cookie Bars are almost impossible to resist!

To print click on arrow upper right side.⇩