Some days we just have a hankering for something from a memory. For me it was magic bars: you know, shortbread cookie on the bottom with chocolate chips and coconut on top. What pulls it all together is a layer of sticky sweet condensed milk. The chef at my dorm used to make them and they were the best - but very, very buttery. I always felt so guilty afterward.
And yet I found myself wishing for one so badly. Happily, I happened the have all the ingredients in my cupboards. Here is the recipe I used, from Martha Stewart Everyday Living.
Also! Did you know that Tollhouse has come out with dark chocolate chips!!! They are super, super yummy! Not on par with Ghirardelli yet, but still a very good consistency and a step up from the semisweet.
Magic Bars (aka Everything Bars)
3/4 cup butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup oats
1 cup chocolate chips
1 15 oz can condensed milk, I used 2%
2 cups plus a little more shredded sweetened coconut
(the recipe also said you could add a 1/2 cup raisins and 1 cup walnut pieces)
Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 inch pan - use buttered parchment paper or Pam.
In a food processor pulse butter, sugar, flour, and salt. Then add oats and pulse again. Pack into the bottom of the pan and bake until golden brown - 20 minutes.
Once it comes out, let it cool for about 5 minutes. I added this step so the chocolate chips wouldn't melt all over the place. I like them to hold a little shape.
Sprinkle over the chips ans walnuts, and raisins, if using. Drizzle over this the can of condensed milk, then the coconut, making sure to cover the top completely.
Bake another 20 minutes until the coconut is golden - careful not to overcook otherwise the coconut might burn. Don't touch them because the milk is really hot when it comes out of the oven.
Let cool a little before cutting into 18 pieces. You can cut them smaller if you want, because they are really sweet and a little goes a long way.