Six-And-A-Half Layer Squares

Baked goods are the perfect gift. They are cheaper than real presents, more personal than a store-bought birthday cake, and you can guarantee the birthday boy or girl is going to love your gift. One of my closest friends and frequent nompanions celebrated her birthday this weekend, and I was at a loss for the perfect recipe. She loves chocolate, but I've also seen her eat fruity things (mostly banana or lime flavored goodies). She also had some specific requests about peanut butter - it wasn't her favorite, but she didn't mind it. I had already made cupcakes, so those were off the table. I reached out to my friends & followers and decided to make Seven Layer Bars, aka Magic Bars.

I picked a recipe from the amazing Brown Eyed Baker because I could count the seven layers - and that was VERY important to me. I then decided to swap out butterscotch chips for peanut butter chips (I like peanut butter MUCH better), but to only put them on half of the pan, since the birthday girl is not a huge PB fan. Hence, six-and-a-half layer bars... that later became squares due to the smallness of the pan I had available. Either way, they were magic.

Ingredients/Layers:

1. Graham cracker crust (9 full graham crackers + 1 stick of melted butter)
2. Chopped walnuts (1 cup)
3. Semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)
4. White chocolate chips (1/2 cup)
5. Peanut butter chips (1/2 cup - I reduced to 1/4 cup since I only used them on half the pan)
6. Sweetened coconut (1 cup)
7. Sweetened condensed milk (1 14 ounce can)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a pan (I used 8x8, original recipe recommends 9x13) with nonstick cooking spray. Line with aluminum foil, and spray again. Be sure to leave the foil hanging over the edges to act as handles to lift out the bars.

Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake until the outer flakes begin to brown, about 4 minutes. Watch it! Coconut can go from delightfully toasty to burnt in a matter of seconds. Set aside.

Meanwhile, crush those graham crackers. Break them into manageable pieces and place in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Enlist the help of a friend or roommate so you can do other things while this is happening. Sweetened condensed milk makes a wonderful rolling pin.

And when that doesn't work, a bottle of tequila is a useful tool as well.

Melt the butter in a small bowl, then pour in the graham cracker crumbs. I used a spatula to get it going, then tossed with my fingers until totally combined.  Press the crumbs evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.

In order, sprinkle the walnuts, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and coconut  over the graham crumbs. Take a moment to admire all the goodness.

Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the entire dish.

Bake until the top is golden brown, about 25 minutes. This is where I ran into trouble with the 8x8 pan. I left it in for a couple more minutes, then turned it down and gave it a few more minutes so the outside wouldn't burn but the inside would still set. Use your eyes and nose, and you'll know when they're done.

Cool in the pan on top of your useless radiator on a wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours.

Remove the bars from the pan using the foil handles and transfer to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut into 2x3 inch bars or 16 squares, depending on the size of your pan.

These bars were truly magic - super easy to make, totally delicious, and a huge hit! Bonus perk: I now have a ton of leftover ingredients to inspire the next round of baked goods!

Have you ever given homemade goodies as a gift?