Magic Cookie Bars

I just love this Magic Cookie Bars. They hit all the spots for me.. graham wafer crust, coconut, pecans or walnuts, chocolate chips … Baked into a delicious treat!

  • I got the dates backwards in that little video I made for Tik Tok! Don’t think anyone on the app minded since I have gotten over 500 views!

I use the standard recipe from Eagle Brand but I made a couple changes… I make this in a square 9×9 pan so they are thicker. The recipe says to pour the condensed milk over the graham wafer crumbs then layer the other ingredients but when I was shown this recipe in the early 80’s my friend poured the condensed milk over all of the ingredients & that is how I do it!

This is simple to make & very popular! NO mixer required! Make this your own by changing the type of nuts you use & if you don’t like coconut omit it! They will still be delish!

I will give you the recipe as I make it but if you want to check out the original recipe here is the link

You can use pecans or walnuts in this recipe, whichever you prefer. I always have coconut in the house so I use whatever I have.. there are several choices of coconut .. use sweetened flaked coconut.

Here is the recipe

Ingredients

2 cups graham wafter crumbs

3/4 cup melted butter

1 1/3 cup flaked coconut

1 1/3 cup chocolate chips

1 1/3 cup chopped pecans ( or walnuts)

1 can condensed milk

Method

Preheat oven to 350f

Grease a square baking dish

  1. Combine the graham wafer squares & the butter then press them evenly & firmly into the prepared pan
  2. Put the coconut evenly over the crumgs
  3. Chocolate Chips over the coconut
  4. Pecans go over the chocolate chips
  5. Pour the condensed milk evenly over the pecans
  6. Bake in the preheated oven until nicely browned approx 25-30 minutes
  7. Let cool completely before slicing *** I slice them and then freeze them with a bit of space between each square or in paper muffin cup liners so I can take out as much as we want to eat whenever we want!

Chocolate Macaroon Cake

This Chocolate Macaroon cake is delicious. Perfect for Passover but I will be making it during the year I am sure. I served it for the first Seder with the Frozen Lemon Meringue Dessert dessert, posted in this blog,   & I think people had a hard time choicing, so they tried some of both! Everyone really enjoyed it. Dense, moist & not too sweet actually. The recipe is from Bon Appetit & I didn’t change anything. Jacki made the ganache for the top. It was so nice being in the kitchen with her during her recent visit home. You should check out this recipe!

Here is the link to the recipe 

http://www.bonappetit.com/story/chocolate-macaroon-cake-passover-dessert?mbid=nl_001_03302017_Daily&CNDID=37995896&spMailingID=14694520&spUserID=MTM3ODMwNTUwNDI2S0&spJobID=963077364&spReportId=OTYzMDc3MzY0S0

 

Chocolate Macaroon Cake

Ingredients

Cake

1 cup coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 cup almonds, toasted  *** toast the almonds in a 350f oven until they become fragrant but watch closely they do not burn  approx 10 min

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped *** I cut the chocolate up & then used the food processor to chop

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

6 large eggs

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla

Ganache for the Top

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 tbsp maple syrup + 1 tsp maple syrup

1/2 cup coconut milk ***shake the can to mix up the water & the thick part of the coconut milk

2 tbsp coconut

1 tbsp slivered almonds

1 tsp sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 325f  Grease a 10 in springform pan & line the bottom with parchment paper. Dust the sides & bottom of the pan with cocoa

  1. Using a double boiler or a heat-resistant bowl that can sit overtop of a pot without touching the water beneath it, melt the chopped chocolate & coconut oil until it is smooth  Remove from the heat
  2. Put the 1/4 cup of cocoa, salt & almonds in a food processor. Pulse until the nuts are finely ground then add the coconut & pulse just to mix together
  3. Put the eggs into a mixing bowl & beat until well mixed. Add the sugars & vanilla, mix until this is thick & pale, ***you can use the whisk attachment but I used a hand mixer with the 2 beaters & it was fine
  4. Add the chocolate mixture,mixing well
  5. Add the coconut/almond mixture. mix well making sure that it is combined throughly
  6. Put the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top
  7. Bake 35-45 minutes until it is firm to touch. Test the cake with a toothpick or cake taster, it should come out clean but the recipe says “greasy’ & the my cake collapsed a bit in center
  8. Cool the cake a bit until you can handle it. but not completely as you want to cool it out of the pan
  9. Release the cake from the pan by using a knife around the edges. Turn the cake over & remove the bottom of the pan and the parchment paper
  10. Let it cool completely
  11. Put your cake onto a serving platter ready for the ganache topping

 

Make the Ganache

Preheat oven to 350f

  1. Mix the coconut, almonds, sugar & 1 tsp maple syrup together & pyut onto a lined cookie sheet, toast until brown. Cool & then break up *** this is put on top of the ganache
  2. Put the chocolate, 1 tbsp maple syrup into a bowl ( if you are using a hand micer)  big enough to add the coconut milk to …set aside *** if you are not using a hand mixer, put the chocolate into a bowl from from your mixermaster
  3. Heat the coconut milk in a saucpan until simmering
  4. Pour the warm coconut milk over the chocolate & let the chocolate melt
  5. Once the chocolate is melted, beat it until it has lost its sheen, approx 6-8 minutes. It should hold very soft peaks when you lift the beaters
  6. Put the ganache onto the cooled cake before it sets. Using a knife or offset spatula, spread it to the edges ***Jacki let it go down the sidesa bit & it was very pretty
  7. Top the ganache with the coconut/almond mix that you toasted before the ganache sets

Enjoy!

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