Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Hello Dolly Bars!

Mom likes to ask me to make all kinds of goodies. Goodies are my weakness. I really don't like all this Junk Food out in the world, but homemade goodies always get me. Hello Dolly Bars are at the tippy-top of my list of favorite goodies. So yesterday afternoon my mom asked me out of the blue to make Hello Dolly Bars. No one really knows where the name came from, but it's better that the alternatives (seven layer bars (because they have 6 layers!) & Magic bars). When people ask me what they are, I tell them they're "super candy bars" which they are.
I've looked at tons of recipes, with eat one varying a bit, but I've never, in all my Googling, been able to find an exact replica of my Grandma's recipe:


1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup  Graham Cracker Crumbs
1 cup  coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chocolate chips
1 (14 oz) can Sweetened Condensed Milk

Now my method:

I stick 1 stick of butter in the pan and stick it in the oven while it's preheating to melt it. It is never completely melted by the time I need it, so I end up microwaving it for about a minute. Then I sprinkle the crumbs on top and press them down and make sure they were evenly distributed. The reason the coconut goes first is because if it goes anywhere else, it'll block the milk from dripping through all the layers. It doesn't matter how chopped the nuts are. I sort of like larger bits, but my mom likes have smaller pieces (more walnut in each bite). You can also use Pecans, but it isn't the same (sigh). Semi-sweet chocolate chips are the best because they have the right balance of dark and light. Some people are insane and use Butterscotch chips, which you could do, but only if you're a complete freak who doesn't appreciate Hello Dolly bars in their beautiful simpleness. The milk needs to be evenly distributed. If you pour it all on the edges, Then you get big caramelly bubbles, but then the stuff in the middle doesn't stick together as well. But if you don't put any on the edges, then they'll just crumble and taste gross. (and the edges are my favorite part!)

Bake in a 9x13 pan at 350 for 30 minutes.

They are so simple, but they taste so good. If I had to choose between homemade chocolate cake (which I've spend 3 hours making before) or Hello Dolly Bars (5 minutes (unless you have a stupid can opener that makes me waste 15 minutes opening a stupid can that I keep cutting my finger on!!!))
I would choose the Hello Dolly Bars. I have no other reason than THEY'RE AWESOME!!!


 Everything is ready to go!
 Ready to stick in the oven!
 Halfway there!
 Now they just have to cool!
 Where did they go?

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