Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Magical 7 layer congo bars????

I first discovered these bars when I was about the age of 10, I think. There used to be this deli/bakery/gourmet food store where I lived. They had all the most amazing desserts imginable. My parents would take my sister and I there when we were youg. After I turned old enough to hang out with my friends alone, we would go there and try to be just as mature as the adults, sipping lattes and eating fancy cakes and pies.

Unfortunately, some good things end. This cafe was one of them. I don't know why because everything they served was really good, right down to the homemade lemonade.

The funny thing is, is that these bars never left my mind after all these years. I thought they were the genius idea of whatever pastry chef they were hiding behind the curtain, alas I was wrong. Oh well, that doesn't mean that they have lost any of the magical memory they bring me about a nostalgic piece of my childhood that I love to remember.

I have heard several names for these bars including, 7 layer bars, magic bars and congo bars. Whatever name you choose, delicious is pretty much the word that sums these up for me.

Any recipe that requires no beating, kneading, chilling, molding, whipping or folding of any kind and can produce plate licking results such as these are a winner in my book.


Magical 7 layer congo bars

Ingredients:
2 c graham cracker crumbs

1/2 c unsalted butter, melted

1- 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk

3/4 c of semisweet chocolate chips*

3/4 c of butterscotch chips

1 c of sweetened dessicated coconut**

Recipe:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line an 8x8 square or 9 inch springform pan with parchment or pam.

Mix graham crackers and melted butter together and press them into a 8x8 square pan , or 9 inch springform pan.

Sprinkle chocolate chips, buterscotch chips and coconut on top.

Pour over condensed milk.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until slightly golden on top.

Cool for 15 minutes before removing from pan.

*Use semisweet or bittersweet chips here because these bars are super sweet.
**Use the drier dessicated coconut, even unsweetened is fine. Angel flake makes them too sweet.

5 comments:

test it comm said...

That looks so good!

NOT SO VANILLA said...

THanks! They were gone in about 2 days~!

forcryeye said...

I just gained 7 pounds by viewing your post!

jessicajlee said...

but the beating whipping stirring are the best parts!

(note my use of no commas; it's an oblique reference to heidegger's 'building dwelling thinking', where commas are absent to indicate the fact that the title-activities are one-in-the-same act.)

Donna L. said...

Your recipe is missing nuts (I use macadamias), which would be the 7th "layer."

Also, the Congo Bars that I make have a similar flavor, but the recipe calls for flour and sugar (no s.c. milk) and are also known as Blondies or Blond Brownies.