Seven Layer Bar

I have a very special person to introduce you all to today if you haven't already been by her blog.  She is none other than Joan of Chocolate, Chocolate and More Chocolate!!!
You all MUST go by and visit her.  Her recipes are incredible and her pictures are out-of-this-world drool-worthy!!
NO kidding!

I am both extremely honored and excited that Joan accepted my invitation to guest post on this very special day for our family ~ our second daughter and middle child is graduating high school, a very big event and Mr. 365 and I are blessed and so very proud to be able to say she is our daughter.
I cannot believe that she is off to college in just a few months.  It seems like just yesterday she was climbing out of her crib and I was having to use duct tape to keep her in her footie pajamas.
It'd be the middle of winter and at the age of 18 months she would unzip her pajamas and fall asleep in just her diaper.  Granted we had the heat on in the house, but I didn't want the kid to catch cold, so I'd put duct tape around the chest.
About 15 minutes after I'd put her down for bed, she'd climb out of her crib, stand at the gate we had set up in at the door of her room (so she wouldn't stumble down the stairs), attempt to unzip the zipper of her pj's and finding she couldn't, yell, "TAPE!"
It was awfully cute, and still brings a smile to her face.
I really miss her at that age, but I love the age she's at now.
She's grown up to be a beautiful, driven, extremely intelligent, compassionate, sensitive (though sometimes overly), fun, and very loving young woman even though she can't stand it when I hug her.
I think that will change however when she's away from me for awhile.  ;-)
Congratulations, baby girl!  You've done so very, very well and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for you!!

It is now with great pleasure I introduce to you, Joan from Chocolate, Chocolate, and More Chocolate!!  This recipe has been added to my list of all-time baked goodies.  I LOVE the combination of flavors.  Thank you so much, Joan for sharing this recipe and taking the time out of your busy schedule to be with us today!

I'm so excited to be guest posting here at 365 Days of Baking. Lynne is awesome and I think that maybe we should be sisters. I love her honesty when she posts, she shares the good and the bad. And I've tried several of her recipes, her Texas Roadhouse Rolls are dead on! Oh and she has awesome dessert posts!!!!!

I wanted to share a family favorite and everyone's probably had or made these at one time or another. It's a Seven Layer Bar. Yummy, kid friendly and the possibilities are endless. When I first started making these years and years ago, my layers were always the same. But this is my go to, clean out the cabinets recipe. I don't always have the same thing. I love using the cheap, dollar cookies that really don't taste that bad in recipes. I use the oatmeal cookies in my Millionaire Bars.

My original recipe consisted of graham crackers, butter, chocolate chips, pecans, peanut butter chips, flaked coconut and sweetened condensed milk.

So what if you change up the graham crackers for a chocolate cookie and then the peanut butter chips for those Andes bits? Pure heaven! Or how about throwing in crushed Butterfingers? Crushed Oatmeal cookies and butterscotch chips? Don't like pecans, use a different nut, or leave them out. There's just so much possibility with this recipe. So have fun, play with it.

Seven Layer Bars

2 cups crushed cookies, I used butter cookies this time
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 to 2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 to 2 cups peanut butter chips
1 to 1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces)

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray then line with parchment paper. I only worry about my parchment paper going up the long sides of the pan. Lightly spray again.

Combine cookies crumbs and melted butter with a fork till all moistened. Spread crumbs in bottom of pan and press down to create your crust.

Now just start layering the rest of the ingredients, Chocolate chips

Pecans

Peanut Butter Chips

Flaked Coconut

Now drizzled the sweetened condensed milk over the top of it all. Be sure to get in the corners, and around the edges, and in the middle, and don't miss that crack over there...

This is the longest part of your prep, waiting for all that sweet goodness to slowly, oh so slowly creep out of the can. And you want to use every last drop. Yes you do.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes until coconut is a beautiful golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting.

And congratulations to Lynne, her daughter and her family, just one more left in High School! Time goes by so fast.