Easy 7 Layer Magic Cookie Bars An Old Fashioned Favorite

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Magic Cookie Bars are a quick simple bar cookie that is rich and delicious. They are a childhood favorite that you may remember from the Eagle Sweetened Condensed Milk brand. A buttery graham cracker crust layer at the bottom and the sweet gooey top layer melted on top. This recipe has 7 layers, graham cracker crust, butter, chocolate chips, coconut, pecans, butterscotch chips, and sweetened condensed milk.  You can add more layers and make the recipe your own.

I remember these bar cookies every Christmas at our Church Christmas potluck. No matter what other Cookie was on the buffet I always had to have one or two of the 7 layer bar cookies.  Magic cookie bars make a perfect Christmas cookie as they mix together so quickly. With one baking you have a whole batch of cookies and they just look and smell like Christmas.

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Baking Tips

• For easy cleanup and cutting the cookie bars line you baking pan with parchment paper.
• In order to get the parchment paper to hold still while you are making the cookies, spray the bottom of the baking pan with spray oil.
• Spray the parchment paper with spray oil or butter to keep the cookie from sticking.
• Use latex-free disposable gloves to spread the graham cracker crust mixture. That way you can use your hand but you do not get your hands all a mess and you keep your hands our of the food.
• Use a mini food processor, coffee grinder or nut chopper to quickly chop the nuts
• Allow cooling completely before cutting.
• Remove the entire cookie out of the pan by lifting the parchment paper and place on a cutting board to make cutting a snap.
• Store in an airtight container. 
• You can store them in the refrigerator so they last longer, just set out a few minutes before eating for the best flavor.

Why are they called 7 Layer?

The bar cookie is called 7 layers as there are 7 basic ingredients no matter which way you make them.  This recipe has a thinker crust and has a few more ingredients for the bottom before you start layering. The basic 7 layers are graham crackers, butter, chocolate chips, butterscotch chip, coconut, and nuts.

Variations

• Use pecans or walnuts
• Add more butterscotch chip on the top as another layer.
• Dark chocolate chips
• Mini chocolate chips
• peanut butter chips

How to make Magic Cookie Bars

• Pre-heat the oven
• Prepare the baking pan with parchment paper
• Chop the nuts in a food processor or by hand
• Use the food processor to make the graham cracker crumbs.

• Mix together the ingredients for the graham cracker crust and using disposable gloves pat the graham cracker mixture in the bottom of the baking pan. Spread out even in the pan.

• Bake the crust for 10 minutes at 350°
• Carefully remove the pan and set it on the stove or heat-safe surface.

• Layer the chocolate chip, coconuts, and nuts on top.
• Pour over the entire surface the sweetened condensed milk, and spread out if needed.
• Return the pan to the oven and bake uncovered for 15 minutes.
• After 15 minutes layer foil over the top and bake another 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool for an hour before cooling in the refrigerator.

• When completely cool remove the cookie from the pan and cut into squares or any shape you like.

The cookies are very rich and delicious. I started out making rectangle shapes but had to make them smaller as they are so filling.

Magic Cookie Bars

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A quick and easy layered Cookie bar, bake cool and slice. Ready for any party.

Inspired by Sallys Baking Addiction see the original recipe here.

• Author: Crafting a family
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 32 servings 1x
• Category: Cookie
• Method: Baking

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 sticks of butter (1 cup) at room temperature, or softened in the microwave, but not melted.
• 2 & 3/4 cups of backed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 cups of all purpose flour
• 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs (2 full packages of graham – 9 crackers to a package)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of butterscotch chips

For the topping:

• 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips, semi-sweet or dark chocolate
• 1 1/2 cups of shredded sweetened coconut
• 1 cup of chopped pecans ( you can ruff chop the pecans in the food processer)
• 1 – 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk (full or low fat)

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Instructions

1. Spray oil a 13×9 baking pan. Then layer parchment paper in the baking pan and have it hang over the sides. The spray oil will keep the paper down, and the paper will allow you to take the whole bars our of the pan to cut after cooling.
2. Preheat oven to 350°.
3. In a food processer crush the graham crackers into crumbs.  If you do not have a food processer, place the cracker in a ziplock bag, seal the bag and crush the crackers with a rolling pin or a heavy glass tumbler.
4. To make the graham cracker bottom, beat in a stand mixer or a hand mixer the butter and brown sugar about 2 minutes
5. Next, add to the mixer the egg and vanilla, on slow beat about 1 minute.
6. In separate bowl mix the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add this dry ingredients to the butter, egg mixture until mixed.
7. Add the butterscotch chips and beat just until mixed.
8. Layer this crust mixture in the bottom of the baking sheet on top of the parchment. (I use non-latex gloves to press this into a flat layer with my hands. When crust in in the pan and spread out, dispose of the gloves.)
9. Bake the crust at 350° for 10 minutes.
10. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and set on your stove or heat proff pad.
11. Layer on the topping in this order (or any order you like) Chocolate chips, coconuts, pecans.
12. Pour over the entire pan the sweetened condense milk and spread it so it is even on top.
13. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes cover with aluminum foil, just lay it on top to keep from getting too brown.
14. Bake another 20 minutes. Check and this is a think cookie crust you may need an extra 5 minutes.
15. Cool for at least 1 hour and then put in the refrigerator.
16. When totally cool, remove the whole cookie from the pan using the parchment paper to lift out. Place on cutting board and cut to any size or shape you like.

Equipment

Clear Vinyl Latex Free, Powder Free Disposable Gloves

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Dash Mini Food Processor

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KitchenAid Stand Mixer

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13×9 Glass Baking Pan

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Keywords: magic layer bar cookie

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