Magic Cookie Bars, Small Batch

These bars are nothing new. I've been baking them for my family for years and years. I am sure you have as well.  I think I got the original recipe from a magazine advert back in the 1980's for Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk.

My children always loved them, and no small wonder.  They are sweet, sweet, sweet!

The original recipe makes 16 large bars. I have downsized it to make only 8, and actually you could probably cut them in half and make 16 small bites if you wanted to. (Which is probably a lot healthier sugar wise!)

I have also seen them called Seven Layer Bars because they are composed of layers of different things.  You begin with a layer of graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. We don't get graham crackers here, but digestive biscuits make a great substitute.

I weighed them out and 6 regular sized Digestive biscuits are the equivalent of 3/4 cup of crumbs, weighing 90g.

I used pecan nuts next. I like to toast my nuts before using them in anything.  They just taste nuttier if you do that small thing.  A few minutes in a hot oven on a baking sheet does the trick. They will be done when they are smelling nice and nutty.

On goes a layer of them, and then you layer on a combination of baking chips.  I used semi-sweet, white chocolate (which really isn't chocolate at all) and peanut butter chips, which is all I had.

But you can use butterscotch chips and milk chocolate chips along with the semi sweet chips. Or just the milk, white and semi sweet chips.  I don't think it really matters.  Sweet is sweet.

And if you thought they were not sweet enough, now you get to pour some sweetened condensed milk over top.  Make sure you use the sweetened condensed milk and not evaporated milk.

The major difference that sets these two canned milk products apart is sugar content; sweetened condensed milk, as the name implies, is always sweetened, while evaporated milk is unsweetened.  Sweetened condensed milk is also appreciably thicker!

Finally you sprinkle some sweetened flaked coconut over everything.  I suppose you could use dessicated coconut, which is all you can get here in the normal shops. 

I always buy my chocolate chips and coconut from an online American ingredient supply shop called Skyco.  I have been buying things like this and a few other things for about 12 or 13 years now.

Yes, they cost a bit, but for the odd bake I think it is worth it. Its not like we eat things like this every day or even every week!  Sometimes it wouldn't even be every month.  I find as we get older we don't eat stuff like this as much.

And to be honest I mostly give it to my neighbour. She has a lad and he enjoys it.

Which is not to say I don't, but as a diabetic these would put me into a coma.  LOL

In any case if you are looking for a small batch recipe for something sweet, to either enjoy at home or gift to someone, you can't go wrong with these.

Incredibly lush.  Moreishy delish.  Much beloved.  Oh, and incredibly easy to make,bake and eat!

Yes, I had a bite and I will be sadly paying for it for the remainder of the day.  Todd has enjoyed one and I sent the rest next door.  They are just too irresistable for words!