Email to Stella      

Easy Seven-Layer Bars

Source of Recipe

Internet


Recipe Introduction

Everyone has tried these cookies in one form or another; this version has more chocolate than most and contains coffee, which tones down the sweetness (although you can omit it if you wish). These are a great baking project for kids, too. I have not tried these with low-fat condensed milk, so I don't know if it will work here. These freeze well, but note that they must stand before being cut.

List of Ingredients

Syrup:

1 Tbsp. plus 1-1/2 tsp. instant coffee
2 tsp. hot water
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
Scant 1-1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs (the contents of one cellophane-wrapped package, ground in a food processor or crushed with a rolling pin between wax paper sheets)
1-1/3 cups (8 ozs.) milk chocolate chips
1-1/3 cups (8 ozs.) semisweet chocolate chips
1-1/3 cups sweetened, shredded or flaked coconut
1 can (14-15 ozs.) sweetened condensed milk
1-1/2 cups chopped pecans OR walnuts



Recipe

Dissolve coffee in water in small cup; set aside (if you omit the coffee in this recipe, omit the water, too).
Line an 11" by 7" OR 9" square pan (at least 1-1/2" deep) with aluminum foil, shiny side up, so that there is an overhang of at least 1-1/2" on each side. Place butter chunks in pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and adjust rack to center of oven. While oven heats, place pan with butter in it just until butter melts. Remove pan from oven. Carefully, wearing pot holders, tilt pan (which will be hot) so that melted butter runs most of the way up each side (this "greases" the sides of the pan).

Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over melted butter on bottom of pan as evenly as possible. Repeat with milk chocolate chips, semisweet chocolate chips, then coconut. Do not stir.

In small bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk with dissolved coffee. Stir to mix well. A bit at a time, drizzle this mixture over the layers, covering as much of the top surface as possible. Sprinkle the nuts evenly on top. With back of large spoon, pat nuts lightly into mixture.

Bake in preheated oven 30-35 minutes, turning pan back-to-front about halfway during baking time. When done, top will be a light golden brown, and edges will be bubbling.

Cool to room temperature, then cover tightly. Let stand overnight at room temperature before cutting. With foil overhang, remove uncut cookies from pan; peel foil back from sides. To cut, use a large, sharp, heavy, straight-edged knife; trim and discard edges before cutting into bars. Store airtight at room temperature or in refrigerator; freeze for longer storage.

YIELD: 24-32 Bars