Have you heard of Seven Layer Cookies? They're kinda sneaky - they also masquerade under the name of Seven Layer Bars or Chippy Dippy Bars (no, I'm not kidding). These little guys are comprised of - you guessed it - seven ingredients, and they are not only fast and easy, but oh-so-good.
So good that I put them in the comfort food category, a category which few (if any) other cookies make it into. So good that when my family makes them at Christmas to give away, we make an extra batch just for us. So good that I would totally invite you over to share them with me, except that by the time you got here they would all be gone.
Seven Layer Cookies.
And another thing? Once you've made these a couple of times, you won't even need the recipe - it's so simple and easy to remember that I haven't used it in years. These would make a great last-minute hostess gift....or you could just eat them all yourself. I won't tell anyone.
So make up an excuse, go raid the pantry and get started!
What you'll need:
1 cube butter
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts (how finely you chop is up to you - I like to keep some chunks, but not very big ones)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Note: These cookies are extremely forgiving so feel free to get creative. Use different kinds of chocolate chips if you want, vary the ratios of chocolate and butterscotch chips to your liking, use unsweetened coconut if you like your cookies less sweet, substitute pecans for walnuts, etc. You can do what you want, but these cookies are so good in their original form that they certainly don't need any help!
What you do with it:
Turn the oven on to 325 degrees fahrenheit. Get a 9x13 pan and put the butter in it, and put the pan in the oven so the butter melts while the oven is preheating. Meanwhile, you can gather your other ingredients, chop the nuts, etc.
By the way, the food chopper pictured above is a kitchen essential. If you don't have one, go find the nearest kitchen store and buy one. Although I'm not generally big on gadgets, my kitchen will never be without one of these handy things. Do you know how long it would have taken me to chop these walnuts without it? Trust me. Next time you need two cups of chopped onions for something, you'll thank me.
Now, I like to use a single one-cup measuring cup for the whole layering process. This gives you less clean-up than just about any other recipe out there.....yet another thing that makes these cookies perfect.
When the butter is melted, take the pan out of the oven and evenly sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs over the whole base of the pan to form a graham cracker crust. You can use the back of a spoon to spread it out evenly if you need to.
Add the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in an even layer over the base. Now sprinkle the coconut over these, and then the walnuts. The last layer is the sweetened condensed milk. Open the can and pour a nice even drizzle over the whole pan. This wonderful goodness will help everything stick together when baked, and adds the perfect amount of sweetness.
Note: At this point you will be holding an empty can of sweetened condensed milk. If you are like my mother, you will get a small spatula or spoon and scrape every last drop out and onto the cookies, to make sure you aren't wasting anything. If you are like me, you will use a spoon or your finger to scrape every last drop out and into your mouth - because let's face it people, if it didn't come out the first time, then the recipe really doesn't need those last two teaspoons. I'd also just like to throw it out there, that sweetened condensed milk was made to go with coffee.
Now your layers are all in happy flavor harmony and ready to be melted together into something much more than the sum of their parts. Put the pan in the oven and tell your cookies to have a good time and come out extra-nummy (because I know you all talk to your baked goods). Bake them for about 25-30 minutes, until the edges are done and the center is turning golden. Take the pan out and let it cool on a wire rack. When cool, you can cut into squares and package or serve. If you can't wait until they're cool, you may need a spoon, but that's ok too.
I don't know how long these cookies last because they never make it more than a couple days at my house. But we often do freeze them at Christmastime to give them to others, and they freeze just fine. If not freezing, store in an airtight container until eaten.
What are some family recipes you just can't get enough of?
So good that I put them in the comfort food category, a category which few (if any) other cookies make it into. So good that when my family makes them at Christmas to give away, we make an extra batch just for us. So good that I would totally invite you over to share them with me, except that by the time you got here they would all be gone.
Seven Layer Cookies.
And another thing? Once you've made these a couple of times, you won't even need the recipe - it's so simple and easy to remember that I haven't used it in years. These would make a great last-minute hostess gift....or you could just eat them all yourself. I won't tell anyone.
So make up an excuse, go raid the pantry and get started!
What you'll need:
1 cube butter
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts (how finely you chop is up to you - I like to keep some chunks, but not very big ones)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Note: These cookies are extremely forgiving so feel free to get creative. Use different kinds of chocolate chips if you want, vary the ratios of chocolate and butterscotch chips to your liking, use unsweetened coconut if you like your cookies less sweet, substitute pecans for walnuts, etc. You can do what you want, but these cookies are so good in their original form that they certainly don't need any help!
What you do with it:
Turn the oven on to 325 degrees fahrenheit. Get a 9x13 pan and put the butter in it, and put the pan in the oven so the butter melts while the oven is preheating. Meanwhile, you can gather your other ingredients, chop the nuts, etc.
By the way, the food chopper pictured above is a kitchen essential. If you don't have one, go find the nearest kitchen store and buy one. Although I'm not generally big on gadgets, my kitchen will never be without one of these handy things. Do you know how long it would have taken me to chop these walnuts without it? Trust me. Next time you need two cups of chopped onions for something, you'll thank me.
Now, I like to use a single one-cup measuring cup for the whole layering process. This gives you less clean-up than just about any other recipe out there.....yet another thing that makes these cookies perfect.
When the butter is melted, take the pan out of the oven and evenly sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs over the whole base of the pan to form a graham cracker crust. You can use the back of a spoon to spread it out evenly if you need to.
Add the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in an even layer over the base. Now sprinkle the coconut over these, and then the walnuts. The last layer is the sweetened condensed milk. Open the can and pour a nice even drizzle over the whole pan. This wonderful goodness will help everything stick together when baked, and adds the perfect amount of sweetness.
Note: At this point you will be holding an empty can of sweetened condensed milk. If you are like my mother, you will get a small spatula or spoon and scrape every last drop out and onto the cookies, to make sure you aren't wasting anything. If you are like me, you will use a spoon or your finger to scrape every last drop out and into your mouth - because let's face it people, if it didn't come out the first time, then the recipe really doesn't need those last two teaspoons. I'd also just like to throw it out there, that sweetened condensed milk was made to go with coffee.
Now your layers are all in happy flavor harmony and ready to be melted together into something much more than the sum of their parts. Put the pan in the oven and tell your cookies to have a good time and come out extra-nummy (because I know you all talk to your baked goods). Bake them for about 25-30 minutes, until the edges are done and the center is turning golden. Take the pan out and let it cool on a wire rack. When cool, you can cut into squares and package or serve. If you can't wait until they're cool, you may need a spoon, but that's ok too.
I don't know how long these cookies last because they never make it more than a couple days at my house. But we often do freeze them at Christmastime to give them to others, and they freeze just fine. If not freezing, store in an airtight container until eaten.
What are some family recipes you just can't get enough of?
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