Magic Dessert Bars
This is a version of some bars that were an absolute staple in my house growing up. My mom called them Hello Dolly bars, they are also known as 7 Layer Bars or Coconut Dream Bars. Believe me, a bar by any of these names would smell as sweet. They also go into the category of Things You Can Teach A Child To Make so you can go about your own business while they create a mess in the kitchen. I’ve even learned recently this is not a million miles away from how you make banoffee pie which I’ve never done but is now on my list of things to do.
I can’t tell you exactly why these are called magic bars except there is a special kind of alchemy that happens when you put this list of very simple ingredients together and put them in the oven. The edges get golden and chewy, the middle is bite after bite of utter bliss. I only make them when I know I can give half the pan away or you would find me in a corner of the kitchen, Gollum like, hoarding my precious bars from interlopers and potential snack thieves. I assume. I assume. That has never actually happened. No one has any proof anyway.
Just be warned. If you aren’t someone who keeps condensed milk in your house, as I’m not (see: above), I’m saying you might want to get a couple of cans because they last almost forever and you may wake up one night with new and unexpected cravings. SIDEBAR- the Wikipedia entry for condensed milk contains probably my favorite sentence in the English language which goes “Before this development, milk could be kept fresh for only a short while and was available only in the immediate vicinity of a lactating cow.”
As most of us no longer live within the immediate vicinity of any cow much less a lactating one I suggest you stock up on the good stuff and indulge yourself. After all, everyone needs a little more magic in their lives.
