Sunday, January 17, 2010

Chocolate Nut Bars



I'm having one of those weeks months where everything I write comes out sounding like pure nauseating drivel. Which is probably why I'm spending more time baking than blogging. And, trust me, the goodies coming from my oven taste much better than the baloney flowing from my fingertips.

These bars, for example, were pure deliciousness. And easy. And I got the recipe from a cook book I never thought I'd use because it has very few pictures. Pictures are important to me.

I could eat the graham cracker crust by itself with a spoon. But then... I say that about most crumb crusts and toppings. In fact, while at work a couple days ago, I ate the crumb topping off a peach cobbler. Lunch of champions, my friends. And it was awesome.

Since I accidentally grabbed milk chocolate chips rather than semi-sweet, I used a combination of both. And I didn't shy away from the pecans. Pecans are your friend. Especially the ones roasted in cinnamon and sugar that I buy from the Huntington Beach farmer's market every Tuesday night.

(This post is making it glaringly obvious why my jeans have become rather snug lately.)



Ingredients
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup melted butter
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts

Directions | Printer-friendly recipe
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter; press firmly on bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake 8 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees.

In a small saucepan, melt 1 cup chips with condensed milk and vanilla. Spread mixture over prepared crust. Top with remaining 1 cup chips and nuts; press down firmly.

Bake 25-30 minutes. Cool. Chill, if desired. Cut into bards. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

And then immediately report back and let me know how you're able to keep baked goods around without inhaling them same day. Thank you.

18 comments:

  1. oh - YUM! Those DO look delish... no way I could make them cuz i absolutely would eat them all the same day.. .but i might stop at the store tomorrow and pick up some graham crackers just in case... hehehe

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  2. Oh. Ma. Gawd...Must make immediately...

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  3. mmmmmthese look way too good to be healthyin fact, they look to die for. Thanks for the recipe!

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  4. orgasssmic lollllll scarrry good great job

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  5. I will have to make these promptly. They look amazing and quick to make!

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  6. These look so simple, but so delectable. Hmmm, do I have graham crackers in the pantry?

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  7. I love how it's always the simple bar recipes that are the most delicious!

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  8. think i could use evaporated milk instead cus i have a can of that hanging out that i don't know what to do with...

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  9. What an extremely short ingredient list! This cookie looks wonderfully delicious yet so simple. I like that. Of course your photos make them look like a million bucks so lets hope mine turn out as beautifully. My photography skills are nowhere near as good.

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  10. Mmmm those look amazing. I don't know why I torture myself looking at your beautiful photos of decadent baked goods. I'm dieting right now and just miserable.PS - I quite enjoy your "pure nauseating drivel." You make me laugh and I need that in my boring day!

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  11. Mmmmmm and Hmmmmm those look divine and so easy as well. You find such recipes that rock. So what if they are fattening. Hey, we only live once!

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  12. Those sound amazing. Your photos are beautiful!

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  13. Oh now that's what I'm talkin about! They look great!

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  14. My sweet tooth is crying for more. We don't have graham cracker over here. Hmmmm.... have to figure something out.

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  15. They look like they are loaded with calories...I can't wait to make them!! :) Baked goods never last at my house....if I don't eat them all, my kids make sure they aren't around long.

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  16. You gotta start marketing these. They look awesome.There was a story in the paper here recently about a local woman that experimented with cookie recipes, trying to make a good tasting cookie that her glucose(?) intolerant son could eat.They turned out pretty good and she started selling them at the local coffee shops and grocery stores and grew her company to something like 6 or 8 employees.She just signed a contract with Starbucks to market her cookies at all of their stores.You can do it.

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  17. I am sooo making these tomorrow. Thanks for the recipe. They look amazing!

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