MAGIC RASPBERRY COOKIE BARS

Happy Labor Day!

As for this household, we did labor.

I cleaned house and tended to the garden, and my hubbie is waist high in grain!

The farmers are hard at work this time of year, and hopefully the weather will be cooperative.

I put my square pan to work again, and made these coco-nutty, Caramel-lie, jam filled bars.

 

I actually found this recipe on the back of the Graham Cracker box.

Just like Magic bars, only with jam instead of the typical chocolate chips.

Since I have a boat load of fresh Raspberry jam . . . I thought “what the heck!”

They’re good – Very good.

I will tell you the truth:  This square pan is wonderful.  Yes . . . it does take a bit longer than plopping everything into a 9×13 pan, however the bars pop out perfectly!  Yes they do.  I also had to use a 6 – 1/2 x 6 – 1/2 pan to make up the difference.

When you top the crumbs with the Condensed Milk, you can pour from the can . . . or

in the case of the square pan . . . It’s much easier to squeeze it from a bottle.

Much less mess! 

I don’t use the whole can right now.

I like to save 1/2 of the Can of Condensed Milk for the top.

Sprinkle sliced Almonds, Walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans or any nut you like over the Condensed milk.

Or . . . don’t!

With a spoon, layer jam over the top of the nuts.

I just tried to divide the 1 1/4 cups of jam equally.

Those blackish things in my Raspberry jam are huckleberries . . . not flies!

Sprinkle Coconut over the jam.

This is where I use the remaining 1/2 can of Condensed Milk.

Drizzle is over the top of the coconut.

*Doing this makes the bars stay together much better.

Important information!

Once the bars are golden brown and you remove them from the oven,

Take a knife and score around the edges . . . Right away . . . don’t wait!

After I did this, the bars in the square pan pop out perfectly.

And let’s just say . . . the bars in the small pan – did not!

Not to mention,

Everyone gets the chewy gooey wonderful sides!

MAGIC RASPBERRY COOKIE BARS

2 Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs

1/4 Cup Sugar

1/2 cup margarine or butter, Melted

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened Condensed Milk

1 1/4 cups Raspberry jam or Preserves

*I used my Raspberry Huckleberry freezer jam

1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

1 cup chopped pecans, almonds or walnuts, etc.

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In a small bowl combine crumbs and sugar.  Add margarine or butter.  Toss until combined.  Press onto bottom of 13x9x2 inch baking pan.

*If using the square pan, divide crumbs equally, and also use a small 6 1/2 x 6 1/2 square glass dish.

2.  Evenly drizzle sweetened condensed milk over crumbs.  Refrigerate for 10 minutes.  Spoon preserves over the top.

3.  Sprinkle with coconut and nuts.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

4.  Cool completely.  Cut into bars.  Store, loosely covered at room temperature.

Yield:  24 servings

*MY NOTES: 

*I skipped the refrigeration part, but put my nuts over the top of the condensed milk layer, then added the jam.  (This provides a barrier)

* I like to drizzle 1/2 of the can of condensed milk over the graham crumbs, and save the over 1/2 can of condensed milk to drizzle over the very top – (over the top of the coconut) This is optional of course, but it makes the bars stay together much better.

*Once out of the oven, take a knife, or spatula, and score the edges, so that they don’t stick to the sides of your pan!