Holly Jolly Dolly Bars
Holly Jolly Dolly Bars
This recipe is inspired by Hello Dolly bars a.k.a Magic cookie bars. I tried to give it a little festive spin for the holidays hence the name: Holly Jolly Dolly Bars. Was I incredibly proud of myself when I came up with this ridiculous name? Absolutely.
If you have been following me for a while, you know that for the most part, I don’t really follow recipes or I tweak ingredients on the fly. This would be one of those instances. Hello Dolly bars are delicious. There are a bunch of really great recipes online if you want to try the original version with pecans and chocolate. But give these ones a whirl!
Holly Jolly Dolly Bars
Ingredients:
For the crust:
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2-3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup/50 grams packed brown sugar (light or dark)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the filling:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped pistachios (I used salted but unsalted works too!)
3/4 cup dried cranberries
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9X13 inch baking pan with two sleeves of parchment: one running length-wise and one width-wise with a little overhang over the rims of the pan.
In a large bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, baking powder and salt until combined. Whisk the melted butter, egg and vanilla extract together (I do this in a glass measuring cup) and add to the dry ingredients. Using a silicone spatula, mix until the crumbs are fully moistened and can hold in clumps if you press it in your hands.
Add the crumb mixture to your baking pan. Using your fingers or the flat bottom of a drinking glass, press the mixture evenly across the bottom of the pan. Stick the pan in the oven and bake for about 10-15 minutes, until the crust looks set and dry.
You can add the filling into the pan when the crust is still warm! Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the crust. Using an offset spatula, spread evenly over the crust. Sprinkle half of the white chocolate, cranberries and pistachios over the surface. Sprinkle all of the shredded coconut on top of that. And then sprinkle the rest of the white chocolate, cranberries and pistachios on top. I like to press down lightly on the surface to make sure everything sticks together.
Place the pan back into the oven for another 25-30 minutes, turning the pan halfway through the baking time, until everything is golden-brown. You will notice the white chocolate chips on the top will caramelize, that is okay!
Cool it in the pan on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. Then using the parchment sleeves, pull the bars out of the pan and place on a wire rack until fully cooled.
Cut into squares and serve! These keep well in an air-tight container at room temperature for about a week. They also make great holiday gifts.