You might know this delicious treat by another name: Magic Bars. I tip my baking hat off to whomever gave them that name, because it’s perfect. They have everything: crunch, sweetness, texture, white chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate (to name just a few layers). Besides crushing the graham crackers, effort is pretty minimal using this recipe. I opted to swap walnuts for hazelnuts as a preference. The final product is delightfully gooey with a crispy coconut finish. See full recipe below.
ingredients:
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
9 graham crackers (5 ounces), crushed
1 cup finely chopped hazelnuts
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup white chocolate chips
½ cup butterscotch chips (I used toffee Heath bar)
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
directions:
1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray. Line the pan with two overlapping pieces of foil or parchment paper, leaving overhang to act as handles for lifting the bars out of the pan. Spray with non-stick spray.
2. Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake until the outer flakes just begin to brown, about 4 minutes. (Keep a close eye on it – coconut can go from slightly browned to burnt in a matter of seconds.) Set aside.
3. Melt the butter and combine with graham cracker crumbs in a small bowl. Toss with your fingers until the butter is evenly distributed. Press the crumbs evenly onto the bottom of the prepared pan.
4. In order, sprinkle the hazelnuts, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and coconut over the graham crumbs. Pour the condensed milk evenly over the entire dish.
5. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours.
6. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil or parchment handles and transfer to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife or bench cutter, cut into 2 by 3-inch bars.
