Friday, December 07, 2007

I'm Late! I'm Late!! For a Very Important Date...ehm..Party!!

OK, call it late owing to time differences (You know I'm in Moscow right?...RIGHT!!! Does that mean I can blame this on an 8+ hour time difference or all the vodka I just had at dinner?).

So, I'm late for a someone very special's housewarming party!!! The very lovely, super funny, and incredibly talented Peabody of Culinary Concoctions by Peabody is having a housewarming party this Saturday 'cause she and her sweet husband and pooch have just moved into a new house complete with a Daring Baker's dream kitchen!

Now, I had a few ideas about what to bring and had planned on bringing some fun bread and maybe an appie or two but...I got waylaid in packing for a trip to a country that has one foot in the 21st Century and another foot in a country that looks like the "Wild West" (Who knew you should bring water purification tablets and a small roll of toilet paper to a country that charges over $700 a night/2,450 Rubbles for a room at the Holiday Inn??!!)

Anyways, last weekend I was trying to figure something quick but super delicious to bring to a fellow Flames fan (Go FLAMES!!!) with a sweet tooth that almost beats mine while rummaging around the pantry for Christmas cookie ingredients when I was literally hit in the head with inspiration (in the form of a bag of white chocolate chips)...

How about Seven Layer Bars!! You would know them as Congo Bars or Dolly Madison Cookies or Magic Bars (huge bonus points to anyone who gets the Seinfeld homage in this this vodka induced, exclamation pointed sentence).

Yup, as fellow Daring Baker Brilynn says "Go Big or Go Home"; meaning I decided to use every type of nut and chip I had in my pantry on what I consider the best over the top cookie on the face of the planet and bring a big ole pan of them with me to pass around and stand in her fabulous new kitchen kvetching with my fellow bakers and bloggers.

Because after all, if I'm going to be late with my offering to the potluck it better be darn good and gooey.

Happy New House Peabody!!!

Peabody's Over the Top Housewarming Potluck Seven Layer Bars

1 stick butter
1 1/2 cups graham crackers
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup toffee chips
1 1/2 cups coconut, toasted, reserving 1/2 cup of coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

Melt butter in a 9" x 13" cake pan lined with two layers of tin foil (one going length wise the other cross wise) leaving the ends of the foil over the pan. Sprinkle crumbs over butter and stir until all the crumbs are coated with butter. Gently press crumbs down to make even crust. Top with remaining ingredients in the order given, holding out the 1/2 cup of reserved coconut for last layer Pour condensed milk over mixture and bake 25 minutes or until lightly brown at 350 degrees. Let cool for 10 - 15 minutes, remove bars using tin foil as handle and cut into squares.

Makes 24 bars