Well here we are! Day 2 of 20 Days of Christmas Cookies! 7 Layer Bars are another extremely easy recipe to make for the holidays. It may even be easier than peanut butter blossoms. They are a quick and delicious dessert. There’s not even any mixer action involved! Everything is just layered into a “lasagna-styled” goodness! I’ve added one more ingredient to your traditional 7 Layer Bar recipe and added an additional nut, so technically this is an 8 Layer Bar, but we won’t tell if you won’t!
7 Layer Bars are one of those recipes that if you are in a time crunch and need a dessert to bring to your holiday party, but don’t want to buy something store-bought, it’s the perfect thing to make. It’s extremely inexpensive, and I’m sure many of you can find the essential ingredients in your pantry. I know that I found bags and bags of chocolate chips left over from previous baking endeavors. I didn’t even need to buy any! I don’t know how the butterscotch chips ended up in there, since I can’t remember the last time I cooked with them, but who cares; they did the trick and tasted delectable!
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One of the main reasons for baking these cookies is because my sister is in love with them, and since she eats the majority of the baked goods I make, I made them specifically for her. I’m sure she will appreciate them when she arrives here for Christmas. Just remember to store them in a cool place. I store my cookies in the refrigerator. They will keep for a couple of weeks, and you can always throw a slice or two of bread in the containers. This will keep them from getting stale and going bad.
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This recipe is adapted from several other recipes. This is just one of those cookies that most people know how to make. One thing I did differently was double the crust. There just never seems to be enough to cover the bottom of the pan. You can reduce the amount of graham cracker crumbs and butter if you wish by almost half, but I think the more crust the better. Another thing I suggest doing, is toasting your coconut. I used unsweetened coconut flakes. The sweetened flakes, in my opinion, are just too much to handle. You be the judge.
To toast the coconut, just lay a cup or two out on a baking sheet and situate the oven rack to the middle. Bake at 350 for about 3-4 minutes. This should be plenty of time, and they do tend to burn quickly, so keep an eye on them.
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Ingredients
- 10 ounces graham crackers, crushed (or 10 ounces graham cracker crumbs)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted (2 sticks)
- 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup butterscotch chips
- 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and situate the an oven rack to the very center of the oven.
- Spray a 9x13in glass dish with a non stick spray and line with parchment paper. Also, spray the parchment paper. Allow enough parchment paper to stick out over the edges so you can easily pull out of the dish when all is said and done.
- In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and the melted butter. Mix with a spatula until the the ingredients are combined.
- Spread the graham crack mixture onto the bottom of your baking dish. Press down with your fingers until the bottom is evenly coated.
- Now start layering the other ingredients. In this order, layer the nuts, dark chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, and coconut. Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the entire dish.
- Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is nice and brown. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours. Pull the parchment paper holding the bars out of the dish and cut in 2x2 inch squares on a cutting board. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
Notes
Hardware: 9x13inch Glass Baking Dish * Parchment Paper * Small Bowl * Rubber Spatula * Measuring Cups * Cutting Board * Sharp Knife * Airtight Container for Storing
