Oct 11 2012

Week 3 #12WksXmasTreats: Key Lime Pie Magic Cookie Bars

Categories:

12 Weeks of Christmas Treats, Baking, Food, Recipes

Magic Cookie Bars grace just about every holiday table, desirable not only because they’re very quick and easy to assemble, but also because the blending of flavors is pretty darn fantastic. Whether you call them Hello Dolly Bars, 7-Layer Bars, or Magic Cookie Bars, the base is pretty much the same: butter, graham cracker crumbs, chocolate chips, coconut, nuts, and sweetened condensed milk.

Key Lime Pie Magic Cookie Bars - poet in the pantry

This base leaves room for infinite possibilities in variations, thankfully, so you can change them up depending upon your mood. Key Lime Pie is a new one for me, though!

Key Lime Pie Magic Cookie Bars - poet in the pantry

My husband thought this was a bit too strong, but I felt it was perfect and paired quite well with the Chardonnay that accompanied them last night. Maybe too well… Key Lime Pie in a hand-held form with a little bit of a kick, thanks to the white chocolate chips and almonds. Impressive!

Key Lime Pie Magic Cookie Bars - poet in the pantry

5.0 from 1 reviews

Key Lime Pie Magic Cookie Bars

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

Author: adapted from Modern Comfort Food

Recipe type: Cookie/Bar

Serves: 12

Ingredients

½ cup (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter
2½ cups Nilla wafers (roughly), finely crushed
1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1 15-ounce can organic sweetened condensed milk
½ cup fresh or bottled key lime juice (if using the latter, Nellie & Joe’s brand is very good)
1 cup white chocolate chips (go with real white chocolate, not artificially flavored!)
1 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
½ cup unsweetened flaked coconut

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the butter in the bottom of a brownie pan and put it in the oven while it’s preheating to melt. Be careful not to burn it.
Sprinkle the Nilla wafer crumbs over the melted butter and mix it up, then press into the pan to create the base layer crust.
Sprinkle the 1 cup coconut over the crust evenly.
In a medium bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk and key lime juice until well blended.
Drizzle ⅓ the sweetened condensed milk mixture over the coconut.
Sprinkle the white chocolate chips and then the almonds over that. Press down to spread evenly.
Drizzle the rest of the sweetened condensed milk mixture.
Sprinkle the ½ cup coconut over that, pressing down a bit so it doesn’t fall off after baking.
Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Cool completely before cutting.

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Meal Planning Magic‘s 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats gets you ready with plenty of ideas for your Christmas festivities! If you’re a blogger and want to join in on the fun, check out this post for the form to fill out to start baking along with us! And don’t forget to follow our Pinterest board to keep track of all the yummy recipes.

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Tags: 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats, baking, coconut, cookies, food, recipes

About the author

Carrie @ poet in the pantry

Carrie is a home baker and amateur photographer who dabbles in writing and poetry. Read more about Carrie @ poet in the pantry's Google Profile

10 comments

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Melissa

11 October, 2012 at 10:44 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment

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Love this twist on a classic Christmas treat! Great photos!
Melissa recently posted..Almond Joy to the World Cookies – 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats (Week 3)
Tracy

11 October, 2012 at 4:18 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment

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They look absolutely delicious!
Tracy recently posted..Chocolate Amaretto Whoopie Pies (12 Weeks of Christmas Treats)
baker street

12 October, 2012 at 3:02 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment

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I love magic bars and your key lime and coconut combination sounds amazing!
baker street recently posted..Nutella Espresso Cheesecake
1. The Poet Herself
  
  15 October, 2012 at 7:32 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
  
  Reply
  
  Thank you! It’s a refreshing take on an old classic, isn’t it?
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes

12 October, 2012 at 12:03 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment

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These posts make me so excited for Christmas Love the Key Lime
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes recently posted..Grandma’s Italian Lasagna and a Memory
Annamaria @ Bakewell Junction

12 October, 2012 at 9:49 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment

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Nice twist on an old favorite.
Annamaria @ Bakewell Junction recently posted..12 Weeks of Christmas Treats ~ Week 3 ~ Phil’s Grandmother’s Italian Cookies
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen

13 October, 2012 at 8:22 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment

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The combination does sound interesting. I never thought of adding lime juice to magic bars, but I think it´s a great idea to cut through all that sweetness. They look wonderful!
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen recently posted..Chorizo and Mozzarella Danish Braid
1. The Poet Herself
  
  15 October, 2012 at 7:29 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
  
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  I had never thought of it until I saw the recipe that inspired me. Then I thought, why not? Just like making key lime pie, only better.
Hezzi-D

13 October, 2012 at 4:57 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment

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This looks like a great variation on the magic cookie bars.
Gail

29 January, 2013 at 12:59 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment

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I’ve been wanting to play with that basic recipe for a long time. Kudos on an excellent adaptation. Trying to decide if I should wait until St. Patricks Day and do a green (lime) thing, or just jump on it now! YUM.