Magic Bars

I've returned to my pattern of baking on the weekends only, but hopefully not for long. I did some menu planning for "cooking for two" for this coming week- so hopefully I'll have something new to share, a few times a week for the month of October. We shall see- I am a lot more optimistic about the week on weekends than I am when I am actually experiencing the week! Though I have to say- this week has be awfully stressful but on the plus side I feel I have been quite productive. Hopefully after the first week of October- my life will calm down a bit. As for now- I am working on submitting my first grant :) ::SMILE:: and hopefully ::crossing fingers:: it gets funded! I can dream cant I?

So on to FOOD...one of my favorite topics ;) Well- for the longest times, I have been making these delicious bars...and by delicious, I mean hands down one of my favorite desserts, the ONLY thing that I bake, that I eat ALL OF IT! :) I think it deals with my love for condensed milk...actually take that back...I love every part of it. I mean seriously- these are delicious. Though, since I've made them a ton- I've gotten feedback. If you love sweet things, you will very much enjoy this. If your sweet tooth cannot handle too much sweet, you might not be a fan. This is very "rich." Though I have made this many, many times- I oddly have not photographed it (and on that note, these bars are oddly hard to capture) or shared it on my blog, so I thought it was time to whip up a batch, share some with all of you and then shove it in my mouth.

So fun fact- you might wonder what is the difference between condensed milk and evaporated milk? Well both are canned milk products with about 60% of its water removed. Evaporated milk has vitamin D added, is unsweetened and as a very mild carmalized flavor. It is used mostly in things such as custard and dishes where a creamy texture is desired. Evaporated milk on the other hand has sugar added and is mostly used in desserts.

MAGIC BARS

Adapted from Eagle Brand

INGREDIENTS

Preheat Oven to 350F Degrees

1 1/2 c. of graham cracker crumbs

1 stick of butter (melted)

1 (14 oz) can of condensed milk

1 c. of chocolate chips

1 c. of butterscotch chips

1 c. of coconut flakes (sweetened)

1/2 c. of chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS

Grease a 8x8 pan. Then mixed graham cracker crumbs and melted butter  with a fork. Combine well until crumbs are coated- then press down to form crust (I usually use the top of a spice bottle). Press firmly. Pour condensed milk on top of crust. Then top with chocolate chips and butterscotch chips (evenly distributing). Finally top with coconut flakes and chopped pecans. Bake for 30 minutes. Once baked, cool completely (I usually then place in the freezer for 15-30 minutes- which helps with cutting into bars).

Enjoy,

Chika