7 Layer Cookie Bars

Hello again! I hope y'all enjoyed last week's decorating session, but this week we are going to be making a classic... 7 Layer Cookie Bars! I've been making this one with my mom since I was little and it is yummy! In the spirit of Mother's Day, I chose this dessert for our Recipe of the Week. This recipe can be found on the back of the Eaglebrand Sweetened Condensed Milk, but we'll go ahead and go over it all here--pictures included, as always :) Plus, there is a lot of variability in here so that you can choose how you want to make it...

You are going to need:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 1/2 cups smashed graham crackers
1 can sweetened condensed milk
6 oz chocolate chips (milk or dark)
6 oz butterscotch chips (can also use white chocolate, your choice)
1 1/3 cup shredded coconut
3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional... I don't use them in this recipe)

First, preheat the oven to 350*F.

If you haven't smashed the graham crackers the easiest way is to double ziplock bag it, and then whack it--great way to take out any frustrations or get the kids involved! Even Jace tried his hand at smashing it... Then dump the crumbs into the bottom of a 11x7 inch baking pan, preferably one with a lid, just in case you don't devour them on the first day. Melt the butter in the microwave and then pour it onto the crumbs. Stir the crumbs and butter really well until most of the crumbs are moist. Then spread it back out into an even layer across the bottom of the pan. These are your first two layers...

Whew, that was the hardest part! :)

Now, just pour the milk onto the crumb layer. You can use the back of a spoon to spread it, but I find it easiest just to pick up the pan and tilt it from side to side to spread it out nicely. Add the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and then coconut. You can mix these together or do them in layers, your choice. If you are using chopped nuts add them here as well. That was the other five layers...

Bake in the oven until the coconut is lightly toasted. My cookie bar was finished in 20 minutes...

Using a knife or spatula, loosen the sides of the cookie bar from the pan while it's still warm. Let cool and enjoy (or scrape it out in pieces while its warm)!

Next week's Recipe of the Week will be more challenging. We will be trying White Chocolate Pearls with an amaretto ganache center... mmmmMMMMmmmm... Here's a teaser pic :)