7 layer magic bars / cookies

This is one of the most popular and old fashioned american desserts. I tasted it for the very first time last year at halloween. I had taken my little one for a halloween experience at a "haunted house" place.... with my friends. The Dousman Stagecoach Inn museum was a spookily decorated little house with a fortune teller.... and the kids really enjoyed the visit. The package included some treats for the kids and that's when i came across these magical bars. I couldn't help putting 3/4 pieces in my mouth...and they were absolutely delicious. 

The old lady who made these gladly shared the recipe. It's really simple -- layer 7 ingredients one after the other and bake..... :) 

I have come to know many shortcuts and quick fix meals in USA... and this is one of the best desserts you can make which is a hit for any get together or party. People can't stop eating it ...it's bite sized and heavenly..... I made it 3-4 times and the last week, I made it for my friends' baby shower. 

Ingredients:

• Condensed milk 1 can (14oz/396 gms)
  
• Graham crackers crushed to powder -- 1 and half cups
• Unsalted butter -- 1/2 cup (melted)
• Walnuts -- 1 cup (broken to small pieces)
• Dried flaked coconut -- 1 and 1/3 cup
• Dark chocolate chips -- 1 cup
• Butterscotch chips -- 1 cup

Recipe:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.
• Line a 13 by 9 inch glass pan with parchment paper or aluminium foil.
• Melt the butter in the microwave.
• Grind the graham crackers in a food processor.

• Mix the melted butter with the graham cracker powder.

• Press down the graham cracker and butter mix firmly on the bottom of the pan.

• Pour condensed milk over the graham cracker crust.

• Spread the chocolate chips and the butterscotch chips over the condensed milk.

• Add walnuts.

• Finally, spread the coconut.

• Press everything down with a spatula.

• Bake in a pre heated oven for 30 minutes.
• Let it cool for about 10-15 minutes, then chill it in the refrigerator.
• Pull out the parchment paper, and lay it flat on a cutting board. 
• Cut into squares. 

Quantity:

• This recipe makes around 24 pieces about 1 and half inch size.

Notes:

• You can change the order of the layers ...with coconut in the middle ...and pour condensed milk in the end.
• You can use other nuts like pistachio, almonds etc.
• You can use white or milk chocolate chips or mini marshmallows.

Khaliat Nahal (Honeycomb buns or Bee Hive's buns)

Khaliat Al Nahal is a middle eastern bread. It means Bee's hive in Arabic, known for it's honeycomb like looks. The buns are baked close to each other in a round pan ...which forms a honeycomb like pattern. They are traditionally made with a sweet stuffing, dunked in honey flavored sugar syrup, though buns with savory stuffings are also made. This bread is made during fasting period of Ramadan, and is served during the evening meal after the day's fasting is over.

This was September 2013 bread, at "We knead to bake" -- bread baking group with our host +Aparna Balasubramanian .

 Ingredients:

• 1 cup lukewarm milk
  
• 1 and half tsp instant yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 and half cup all purpose flour (I used bread flour)
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 40 gm unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp milk for brushing on top of the bread
• For the filling:
•  1 pack cream cheese(about 250 gms)
• For the sugar glaze: 
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• A pinch of saffron
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp lime juice

Recipe:

• Heat milk in a microwave for about 40 seconds. 

• Add yeast and sugar to it. Stir it well and keep it aside.

• Melt the butter and keep it aside to cool.
• Keep 1/2 cup of flour aside.

• Add remaining two cups of flour to the food processor bowl, along with sugar and salt.
• Process for about 20 seconds till everything is well mixed.

• Add melted butter and process again for 20 secs.

• Add the yeast and milk mix to the processor bowl.

• Process for about a minute till everything is mixed well.

• Add the remaining half cup of flour, about a tbsp at a time and process till everything comes together as a soft dough.

• Take out the ball of dough in a well oiled bowl and knead with hands for a few seconds.

• When it becomes a smooth ball of dough, cover it with plastic wrap and leave it aside about about an hour or till it doubles in volume.

• Once the dough has risen, take it out, divide it into small pieces.
• I measured all the pieces to about 20 gms so as to get even balls.

• Cut the cream cheese approximately to a tsp blocks.

• Take a piece of dough, flatten it out and put a tsp of filling of cream cheese on it. Pull up the sides of the dough, enclosing the cream cheese in it and pinch the ends on the top. Roll it to a smooth ball. 

• Repeat with other balls of dough, till all the filling and the dough is used.
• Put all the balls with filling in concentric circles in a greased round cake tin, so as to get a honeycomb like pattern. I used 11 inch round tin.

• Cover the cake tin with a wrap and let the dough rise for the second time, for about 40 minutes.
• The balls will get bigger and stick closer to one another.

• When the dough is rising the second time, make the sugar glaze. 

• Mix the sugar, water and saffron in a pan and heat it for about 5 minutes, till the sugar thickens to a syrup. Turn off the heat, add honey and lemon juice. Keep it aside to cool.

• Brush the top of the dough balls with milk.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 20-25 minutes till the tops are golden.

• Pour the sugar syrup on the warm buns. I chose to drizzle about 2-3 tsps of syrup on the buns with a spoon. 

• Serve warm with tea/coffee.

upside down buns.... 

Quantity:

• Makes about 35 buns.

Notes:

• You can check out this video link to see how it is made.
• You can add flavors to the cream cheese, like more sugar/saffron/other spices or fruit and nuts.
• You can make savory fillings like potato, paneer,chicken,  or even stuff it with chocolate.
• Sprinkle sesame seeds on top, if making savory stuffing.

that's my son grabbing the bun... :)