Baked Bars

The last weekend was so relaxing. We spent it at my future parents in law's place discussing wedding themes, colors and centerpieces. It was a lot of fun looking at wedding blogs and on pinterest. I also feel a lot better now having made some decisions about what direction we want to go with decorations.



Ok, now let's talk about these yummy bars! Sweetened condensed milk is an amazing and vesatile ingredient. I love it in all forms: straight out of the can or caramellized into dulce de leche or baked into a gooey topping like in these bars from the "Baked" cookbook by the guys from the famous NYC Bakery: "Baked". They are so good that they are even named after the bakery itself!

Cut these bars into small squares as they are extremely rich and so so good. When I brought these to work the entire tray disappeared almost as soon as it was wet out.



"Baked" Bars
9x13 inch pan | "Baked"

Crust
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
2 1/2 cups ground graham cracker crumbs (about 20 crackers)
1 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling
1 1/3 cup walnut halves, toasted and chopped
1 1/2 cup (9 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup white chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup butterscotch chips
2 cans (8 oz each) sweetened condensed milk

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9x13" baking pan. Line with Parchment.

2. In a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and toasted coconut. Add the melted butter. Combine the mixture, then turn it out into the prepared pan. Using your hands, press the crust into an even layer on the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to create a perfectly even crust.

3. Refrigerate the crust for 15 minutes, then bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let the crust cool completely.

4. To make the filling, increase the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Evenly spread the walnuts onto the bottom of the crust. Spread the chocolate chips over the walnuts, followed by the white chocolate, followed by the butterscotch chips.

6.In a steady stream, pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the filling. Shake the pan very gently to make sure the sweetened condensed milk is evenly distributed.

7.Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan every 10 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Cut into squares and serve.