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Magic
Bars, also known as Hello Dollys, live up to the adage that bar cookies are
the easiest of all the cookies to make. This recipe, or maybe we shouldn't
even call it a recipe as it is so little work, is just about layering and
baking six ingredients; melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, sweetened
coconut, chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, and a can of sweetened condensed
milk (in that order). No mixing, no fussing, and what's best of all
is that you don't have to sacrifice flavor for lack of work. These are rich,
sweet, and sticky and absolutely delicious. Magic Bars only seem to get better tasting after a day or two in the
refrigerator, so you may want to add this recipe to your Christmas baking repertoire or
keep them in mind for the next time you need to make
something for a bake sale or potluck supper.
Sweetened condensed milk is what binds all the dry
ingredients together in these Magic Bars. It is made from a mixture of whole milk
and sugar that has had about 60 percent of its water removed. Its
consistency is thick and sticky (like honey) and it is very sweet
tasting. It is most often used in baked goods and it takes on a
lovely caramel flavor and
color when baked. To give you a small bit of history, condensed milk was
the
result of Gail Borden's (1801-1874) determination to invent a milk that could be
stored and distributed over long distances. At the time of its invention
(1856) milk was not pasteurized so it was difficult to keep it fresh and free
of germs. After Borden received a patent on his invention he starting
producing condensed milk, but it wasn't until it
became standard issue for the troops during the Civil War that it really
gained popularity.
Finally, these Magic Bars can magically turn into Seven Layer Magic Bars,
just by adding one cup of butterscotch chips to the recipe.
Layer the butterscotch chips after the chocolate chips.
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