"Birthday Cake" Seven Layer Bars (★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆)

No, this picture isn't dangerous.

Okay, ...it is a little bit.

Okay, I kind of freaked out that the whole thing would tumble over and my lovely light box would burst into flames.

But how else was I supposed to create such a "subtle" foreshadowing?
Anything for art, right?

---------

So besides the November-to-December holiday montage, February is my favorite time of year.

No, not because it's Valentines Day.

Although, I do like the whole "chocolate" binge aspect.

And I'm sure the whole "love" aspect is swell too, but I've had a total of two valentines dates throughout my entire existence so the ratio of Dates on V-day to Not Dates on V-day is none too inspiring.

And it's not even because February is the only month that never reaches thirty days...although, I have to admit that is pretty cool.

Nope those aren't the reasons.

February is my favorite time of year...
...BECAUSE IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!

And this year, I'm closer to thirty than I've ever been.  

So I'm celebrating

...all month long. 

Because I deserve it.

To help you join in on all the festivity and help you get to know me a little better, I thought it'd be fun to answer a few questions about myself.  

The more you know, the more you care, right?       RIGHT?!         right?

Don't blame me for these questions. 

If this is what Google says the world wants to know, then who I am to argue?

I mean, it's Google.  

So without further ado...  (be glad I whittled these down from my original "twenty-six" question idea!)

1. What is your favorite time of the day? 

    Pretty much the parts of the day where my stomach starts to grumble.  Because then it's "sanctioned"  

    chow time!

2. What are you absolutely best at?

    Answering questions about myself!  I'm the best in the world...in the universe!!

3.  If you were a book, which book would you be?

    A book with lots of short chapters.  I hate chapters that go on a hundred pages strong.

4.  Do you know how many pieces of clothing you own?

    The amount where a "one in, one out" rule has become a necessary evil.   

5.  Which song would you rather wake up to in the morning?

     Let's get real, it's Freddie Mercury's..."We are the Champions."  Try not getting pumped to that. 

6.  Aside from Ricky Martin, which artist do you listen to the most?  

     Well since I listen to Ricky Martin, um...., never....I'd have to say every artist in the world.  Even 

     Rebecca Black.  Because even I know that "yesterday was Thursday, today is Friday" and we be 

     "partyin' partyin' yeah!"

7.  If you could have dinner with anyone, who would you choose?

     I think I'm going to have to go with Derek Wills on this one.  *Sigh* ...that salt and pepper hair  

     ...that British accent  ...that seductive-one-moment/rip-you-a-new-one-the-next bad boy quality.  I 

     am taken.

8.  What 3 things would you not take with you to an island?

     Really? Most unproductive question. Ever. But obviously I wouldn't bring 

     1) My new Smash DVD's.  Only because there is no electricity...unless this is "The Island" - from 

         Lost.  Then I'd be A-okay. 

     2) Any of the plants from my backyard.  Because, in my imagination, this island is full of trees and

         tropical flowers so my plants would be redundant and outshone in comparison. 

     3) My cat.  As much as I love him, he'd drive me crazy while I was trying to build a "Robinson 

         Family" worthy treehouse and get an even tan. 

9.  What would you do if you found a wallet and there was no ID in it?

     Bury it.  Honesty prevents me from taking someone's money.  But if I can't have it then neither can 

     you!

10. How different would your life be if you were to live in Africa?

      Pretty different.

Since we're totally close now - I opened up so much! - I feel we can appreciate what happened in my kitchen this past week even more.

Seven Layer Bars.
Birthday Style.

And I'm not talking your normal "seven-layers-actually-translates-to-seven-ingredients" bars - I'm talking

Count em', Seven...


1 - Golden Oreos
2 - Funfetti Cake Batter
3 - Marshmallows
4 - White Chocolate
5 - Semi-sweet Chocolate
6 - Coconut
7 - Sprinkles


....Layers.

Sticky Sweetness.

Birthday Cake Seven Layer Bars

Inspired by The Domestic Rebel

• 1 Cup of Golden Oreos, Crushed with Cream Removed
• 3/4 Cup Butter (1 1/2 Sticks), Divided
• 1 Box Funfetti Cake Mix
• 1 Egg
• 3/4 Cup Marshmallows
• 1/2 Cup White Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 Cup Flaked Coconut
• 1 - 14 oz Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1/3 Cup Multicolored Sprinkles

Needed a 9x13in pan

Preheat oven to 350F Degrees

Makes Approx. 20 Bars

1) Gather all the ingredients together.  These bars are easy, but there are a few steps because of all the
    different layers.

2) Separate Oreo cookies from the creams.  I bought the Birthday Cake variety, but once you remove 

    the cream there isn't much difference between these and the standard Golden.  

3) Finely crush the Oreo cookies until you get a cups worth of crumbs.  This is about 3/4 the package.  

    Start with a meat tenderizer or a Ziploc bag and your hand to make the crumbs.  If you need them 

    finer place into a food processor or, if you are lazy like me, a cleaned coffee grinder. 

4) Place 1/2 stick of butter (1/4 cup) into the bottom of a 9x13in pan.  Let it melt in the oven.  

5) Add Oreo crumbs on top of the melted butter and pat down gently.

6) In a medium bowl, combine funfetti cake mix, egg, and rest of the butter (melted).  

7) Take pieces of batter, flatten them in your hand and add to oreo cookie base.  Make sure the entire 

    bottom layer is covered.  Add these gently as you don't want to disrupt the crumb crust.

8) Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.

9) Carefully remove slightly baked cake/oreo layers and add marshmallows.

10) Add white chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and cocount. 

11) Pour can of sweetened condensed milk over the entire thing.  Make sure everything gets covered. If    

      you can do with less than a can then stop there.  The less you have to use the better.  It's really, 

      very sweet.

12) Disperse sprinkles across the top. 

13) Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the top begins to get golden and bubbly.  Remove from oven and 

      cool completely on a cooling rack before cutting into pieces.  

Happy Birthday to me!

----------------------

Oh my goodness!  Thanks so much for viewing.  These were featured during The Back For Seconds Link Social on March 5, 2013 and Blooms Designs Link Party on March 6, 2013.  Click the icons to check it out!!!

 

Also featured on:

Gingersnap Magic Cookie Bars (★ ★ ★ ★ ☆)

Why don't you go ahead and settle in, grab your morning coffee,  because I want to tell you a little story.

A little story called "Why My House Isn't Safe For Magic Cookie Bars: Or Anything With Copious Amounts of Sugar."

So the title's a little excessive.
But it's my story.
And I think it's perfect.

I honestly contemplated changing the names in this because my family might kill me, but where's the fun in that?

Plus, after reading about Person 1, Person 2, Person 1 again, then Person 3...you're just going to get all confusl'd.

So since I'm going there, let's just lay it all out right now.

Mom,
          Dad,
                  Bestie

Prepare to be famous.

Brother - You are safe.  You don't like coconut.

So I'm baking Monday night, pretty much the usj.

Nothing too interesting there.  Except that everyone was home.  [Dun, dun, dun, duuuuuuuuun].
I'm used to having the house to myself on baking nights.  Just me, an iPod, and an electric mixer.

See when you are alone there are baking pros and cons.

The Cons.

• You are lonely

That's it.

The Pros.

• You are lonely so you can focus and do your best baking.
• You are lonely so you get to listen to your music as loud as you want (and dance around while belting out Mariah Carey Christmas songs into a wooden spoon.  Not that I do that...just the "option" is there).
• You are alone so you can tweak any recipe to your heart's content.
• You are alone so you can taste test something fresh from the oven without swarms of "sugar deprived" eyes glaring back at you.  

Three hungry people, one blogger.
There's bound to be conflicts of interest.

Bloggers have a different mindset.
We don't bake to eat.
Well, ultimately we do, but not before our desserts have paid their dues.
Prepping, styling, photo shoots, etc.

Much to the chagrin of my family members.

---

So back to the story.  I take the bars from the oven.  Not two minutes after I settle down to watch a Christmas movie, do I hear the terrifying sound of a knife slicing into melted chocolate and toasted coconut shreds.

Bakers can totally hear that kind of stuff. 

Now, I'm not against sharing.  I understand I have infused the house with an irresistable aroma. But I worked hard on those cookie bars.  The idea.  The shopping.  The baking.  The documenting.  After all is said and done every post costs me about 8 hours of free time...so I'm none too thrilled by the sound of my hard work about to be mutilated at the hand of someone other than me.

Me: "Nope." 

Dad: "You serious?"

Me: "Yep."

Dad: [Insert crazy pout.  Like I just told him I think going to college is a waste of time.]

Sure he's my dad.  He's only sacrificed everything for me.  But I still like to have the final say in what happens to my baked goods...and when.  Call it my controlling "vice," but I'm not ready to give it up. 

Twenty minutes later, after the cookie bars had cooled the "proper" amount of time, it was time to slice and share.  But only a taste, because these babies still had work to do.

Mom and Bestie were beside themselves and promptly consumed their share.

But Dad, nope.  He was good.  The moment had past.  

On his terms, or no terms.  Like Father, Like Daughter.  

Suddenly, an even bigger dilemma than I could have ever predicted arose - There was one piece and two willing participants.  

I mean the obvious, reasonable thing to do would be to share, right?

And that's what happened.

Until my Mom convinced Bestie to refrigerate the "precious" morsel because it would "taste better."  I walked into this:

Mom: "I'm so sorry.  I ate the whole piece.  I couldn't stop myself."

Bestie: [Insert Stunned Silence.  Cue welling of tears.]

Mom: "When Natalie goes to bed, I'll cut you another one."

Bestie: "Wait.  You really ate the whole thing?"

ME: "Excuuuse me?"

Mom: "No, I'm just kidding. I only moved it to the door."

Bestie: [Insert pent up chuckle].

ME: "...Uh, what was that about me going to sleep?"  

No joke, totally had a nightmare that I woke up to find 4 measly pieces.

Me: "What the heck happened?!"

Mom: "I'm so sorry.  They were just so good!"

Me: "I still had to take pictures!!"

I breathed a sigh of relief when I found the pan safe and sound, pristinely wrapped on the counter in the morning.  But did that stop me from hiding that dish in the tupperware cupboard?  

No.  

No, it did not.  

Gingersnap Magic Cookie Bars

adapted from Love from the Oven

1 Stick of Butter (1/2 Cup)

1 1/2 Cup Gingersnap Crumbs

1 - 14 oz. Can Sweetened Condensed Milk

2 Cups Nestle Holiday Chips (or 1 Cup Semi-Sweet and 1 Cup White)

1 Cup Chopped Walnuts (Pecans work well too)

1 1/3 Cup Flaked Coconut

Needed: 9 x 13in Pan

Preheat Oven to 325F Degrees

Cook for 25-35 Min

Makes Approx. 24 Bars

1) Crush gingersnaps into fine crumbs.  I used a meat tenderizer and a coffee grinder to finish up the 

    job.

2) Preheat oven to 325F Degrees.  Place cube of butter in 9 x 13in pan and place in oven to melt while 

    preheating.  Check every few minutes to make sure it is melting and not getting burned.

3) In the meantime, chop up a cup of nuts.

*Suggestion: I LOVE crust.  And I found this recipe to be a little on the thinner side.  What I would 

                      do next time is increase the butter to 1 1/2 cubes and double the cookie crumbs.  Or do 

                      1 Cup Gingersnaps, 1 Cup Graham Crackers.  Grahams are a lot sweeter and less spicy.  

4) Once butter is melted, remove from oven and place on heat safe surface.  Sprinkle cookie crumbs 

    evenly over the butter and gently pat down with the back of a spoon.  Make sure the entire bottom 

    surface is covered.

5) Pour can of condensed milk over the crust layer.

6) Next add 3/4 Cup Nuts, and 1 1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips (saving some for the very top layer).

7) Sprinkle the coconut evenly over the nuts and chocolate.  Pat down gently.

8) Top with remaining nuts and chocolate chips.

*Suggestion: I've made these before and "pre" toasted the coconut.  I wish I had done that this time.  I 

                       love the toasty smell and taste of the coconut after it's been baked for awhile. If you want 

                       to pre-toast the coconut, line a baking sheet with foil and spread the coconut thinly 

                       across.  At 350F, bake for no more than 5 mins.  Watch carefully that these do not burn.  

                       You want to see the edges of the flakes just beginning to darken. 

9) Bake for 25-35 minutes.  Top should be slightly browned.  Remove from oven and place on cooling 

    rack.  Allow to cool completely before cutting and serving. 

Do not think me cruel. After these pictures, my family had their fill.  

All Tuesday night, they ate to their hearts content.

Then came Wednesday. And I brought the rest to work.

So Bestie cried.  

Oh geeze.