Conference turris::cooks

    Diane,
    
    I'm not sure if these are the same cookie, but they're good.  I
    won a Digital sponsored cooking contest years ago with them.
    
    
    Chocolate-In-Oatmeal Bars
    
    3/4 cup butter or margarine
    1 cup packed brown sugar
    1/2 tsp salt
    1 1/2 cups flour
    1 cup rolled oats
    1 14oz can Eagle Brand Condensed Milk                        
    1 cup (6 oz) chocolate chips
    1/2 cup chopped nuts.
    
    Heat oven to 375.
    
    Cream butter with brown sugar and salt.  Blend in flour and oats
    until particles are fine.  Press 2/3 of crumb mixture firmly into
    bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch pan.  Heat condensed milk in saucepan.
    Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.  Spread over nixture in pan. 
    Sprinkle with remaining crumbs; press down lightly.
    
    Bake at 375 for 25 to 30 minutes or until light golden brown.

    
    I'm not really sure that this is what you are looking for but it's
    a short cut version of the 7-layer cookie.  This recipe can be found
    with other's for Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk.
    
              Magic Cookie Bars
    
    1/2 cup margarine or butter
    1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
    1 (14-ounce) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
    1 (6-ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
    1 (3 1/2-ounce) can flaked coconut (1 1/3 cups)
    1 cup chopped nuts
    
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 for glass dish).  In 13 x 9-inch
    baking pan, melt margarine in oven.  Sprinkle crumbs over margarine;
    pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumbs.  Top with remaining
    ingredients; press down.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly
    browned.  Cool.  Chill if desired.  Cut into bars.  Store loosely
    covered at room temperature.
    
    
    This may not be what you want but try it, you might like it.
    
    Lynn

    
    
    			Hidden-Treasure Bars
    
    1/2   cup margarine or butter
    1/2   cup packed brown sugar
    1/2   cup molasses
    1     egg
    1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
    1     teaspoon baking powder
    3/4   teaspoon ground ginger
    3/4   teaspoon cinnamon
    1/4   teaspoon baking soda
    3/4   cup snipped gumdrops
    	  Powdered sugar
    
    In a large mixing bowl beat margarine with electric mixer for 30
    seconds.  Add brown sugar and beat till fluffy.  Add molasses and
    egg and beat well.
    In a bowl stir together flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon,
    baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Gradually and half the flour
    mixture to the molasses mixture, beating well.  Beat in 1/3 cup
    water, then beat in remaing flour mixture.  Stir in gumdrops.
    Spread batter evenly in greased and floured 13 x 9 x 2 " baking
    pan.  Bake in 350 oven 20 to 25 minutes or till a toothpick inserted
    near center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on wire rack.  Sprinkle
    with powdered sugar.  Cut into bars , makes 36 bars.
                     
    

                    
                                  Congo Bars
    
    Base:  1 box (20 oz.) Yellow cake mix
           6 Tbls. margarine
           1 large egg
    
    Topping:  2/3 C light corn syrup
              1/4 C brown sugar
              1 tsp. vanila
              2 large eggs
              1 C coconut
              2/3 C chocolate chips
              1/2 C nuts, chopped
    
     Reserve 2/3 cup dry cake mix for topping.  Place remaining dry
     cake mix, margarine, and egg in bowl.  Mix on low for 1 minute.
     Scrape bowl and mix 1 minute longer.  Spread mixture evenly in bottom
     of 13 x 9 greased pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 - 20 minutes
     or until light golden brown.
    
     Topping:  Place corn syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, eggs, coconut
     and reserved dry cake mix in mixer bowl.  Mix on medium speed for
     1 minute.  Pour mixture evenly over partially baked base.  Sprinkle
     with chocolate chips and nuts.  Return to 350 degrees oven and
     bake 25 to 30 minutes or until set.  Cool completely, cut into
     bars.                 
    
     Delicious, enjoy!!
    
     Helen
     
    

    NANAIMO BARS                          with thanx to Sharon Cofer
    
    
    INGREDIENTS:
    
    butter
    1/4 c white sugar
    1 sqr unsweetened chocolate
    1 tsp vanilla
    1 egg, beaten
               (but not abused)
    2 c fine graham cracker crumbs
    1/2 c chopped walnuts
    1 c flaked coconut
    2 T instant vanilla pudding mix powder
    3 T milk
    2 c confectioner's sugar
    2/3 semisweet chocolate pieces
    
    
    put 1/4 c butter, white sugar, unsweetened chocolate, vanilla into
    top part of double-boiler. Cook over boiling water until well blended.
    Add egg and cook 5 minutes longer, stirring. Add crumbs, nuts, and
    coconut. Press into buttered pan 9"x9"x2" pan. Cool. Chill 15 minutes.
    Cream 1/2 c butter until fluffy, beat in pudding mix and milk. Add
    confectioner's sugar gradually and beat until smooth. Spread over
    first layer. Chill 15 minutes. Melt semisweet chocolate and 1 T
    butter over low heat. Spread over second layer. Chill until firm.
    Cut into 1" squares. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.

              *****     CHEWY COCONUT BARS     *****
    
    1 1/4 cups flour                 1/2 cup butter
    1/2 teaspoon baking powder           (not margarine or crisco)
    1/2 teaspoon baking soda         1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
    1/2 teaspoon salt                1 egg
    1/2 teaspoon cinnamon            1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1/4 teaspoon nutmeg                                       
                                     1 cup quick cooking rolled oats
                                     1 cup coconut
                                     1/2 cup chopped walnuts
                                     confectionary sugar
    
    
    Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon,
    and nutmeg and set aside.  Cream butter and gradually add brown
    sugar.  Cream well.  Add unbeaten egg and vanilla extract.  Beat
    well.  Use a spoon to combine with the dry mixture.  Stir in the
    rolled oats then add the coconut and chopped nuts.  Spread in well
    greased 13"x9" pan.  Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.  Let cool. 
    Cut into squares and roll in confectionary sugar. 
    

    Magic Cookie Bars
    
    (Makes 24 to 36 bars)
    
    1/2 cup margarine or butter
    1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
    1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
    1 (6 oz.) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
    1 (3 1/2 oz.) can flaked coconut (1 1/3 cups)
    1 cup chopped nuts
    
    
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 for glass dish). In 13x9-inch baking
    pan, melt margarine in oven. Sprinkle crumbs over margarine; pour
    sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumbs. Top with remaining
    ingredients; press down. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly
    browned. Cool. Chill if desired. Cut into bars. Store loosely covered
    at room temperature.

    
    This recipe is just about identical to the one in the previous reply
    except a slight variation in the method.  My mother used to make these
    when I was small, and coincidentally, I just made them for the first
    time myself this week.  They are WONDERFUL.
    
    PRINCESS BARS
    -------------
    
    17-20 graham crackers, crushed
    1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
    1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
    1 cup coconut
    3/4 cup chopped walnuts
    1 small can sweetened condensed milk
    
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    Combine crushed graham crackers with melted butter or margarine and
    press onto the bottom of an 8x8" baking pan.  Sprinkle evenly with the
    chocolate chips, followed by the coconut, and then the chopped walnuts. 
    Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the entire contents in the pan,
    making sure that you cover everything completely.  Bake in a 350 degree 
    oven for 20-25 minutes.  Cool bars on wire rack completely before cutting; 
    better yet, cover with foil or plastic wrap and wait until the next day 
    (if you can!) to cut into bars.

Visited some friends recently who presented me with a delicious dessert and the
recipe...however, the recipe calls for Custard Powder which I had never 
heard of (here in Southern NH).  Can anyone tell me a brand name, or where to
find it?

I will post the recipe for those of you who may be able to locate this 
ingredient.


				NANAIMO BARS

Crust:
	1/2 c butter
	5 Tbs sugar
	5 Tbs cocoa
	1 Tsp vanilla
	1 Unbeatten egg
	    ----
	2 c crushed graham wafers/crackers
	1/2 c chopped walnuts

Place ingredients in the top of a double boiler, heat til the butter melts.  Add
2 C crushed graham wafers and 1/2 c chopped walnuts.  Pat into a greased 9" pan.


Filling:
	4 Tbs butter
	2 Tbs custard powder
	3 Tbs milk
	2 c frosting sugar/10X sugar

Cream butter and custard powder, add milk and sugar alternately.  Pat down
carefully onto the crust mixture.  Refrigerate overnight.


Topping:
	Melt 4 squares of semi-sweet chocolate and spread over icing.
	Refrigerate.


**Add food coloring to the filling to suit the color for the season!

They were absolutely delicious!


	

I don't know if this is exactly right, but I've seen and used Bird's custard.
It's an instant powder that is used to make a custard sauce (not solid custard)
for ladling over cakes and such.  When I first tried the stuff I could only get
it from a friend in Ireland.  Lately, I've seen it at Market Basket in 
Fitchburg.

    These bars are called "No Bake Bars" in Minnesota and, I think,
    elsewhere in the U.S.  Nanaimo is a city in British Columbia after
    which they are named in Canada. I first heard that name when we lived
    in Toronto.
    
    My wife makes these with a thick cooked custard that does not use
    packaged ingredients.  I'll ask her to supply her version.

    RE: .1
    
    Birds can make either a thick or thin custard depending on how long
    you cook it.  Birds is available in the imported foods section of
    Alexanders.

    Maybe I misunderstood the recipe in .0 but I've never had 
    uncooked custard powder! The Bird's Custard Powder I have has 
    to be cooked.  (Maybe they have an instant now, like American
    Instant Vanilla Pudding! NOT THE SAME but close to.)   

The recipe I received call for however many TBS of custard powder -- my 
note was asking for help in locating custard powder, etc.  I had never 
heard of it.  I didn't mention Bird's in particular -- but if it is custard
powder, then it has to start off a powder and then be cooked -- like a 
pudding mix or a tapioca.  Have you only bought the Bird's cooked?

clarification for confused "Americans"...

Birds custard mix is a type of pudding mix, much like jello "cook and serve"
pudding mix (not the instant kind).  You cook it up with milk and, if my 
memory serves, sugar.

If you simply could not find Birds custard mix anywhere, you probably could
use an American brand of pudding mix - like the "cook and serve" Jello, with
the caveat that you would need to adjust the sugar a bit, as the American
pudding mixes come with sugar already added.  although the taste might not
be quite the same, the vanilla pudding mix would come very close in taste
and texture to the Birds custard mix in this particular recipe.

the above explanation is courtesy of my expatriot English friends, Rene 
and Joy, who also, by the way, swear you will love Birds custard if you try
it - and you NEED it to make a proper trifle.

		One of them confused Americans,

				D

    Check out the British Image, a store owned by a British couple in
    Plymouth, MA.  Carries homemade sausages, beef pie, black pudding etc. 
    Sausages and beef pies deemed authentic by my English companion.
    

My mistake.  When I said instant, I meant relatively so.  Making real custard
takes lots longer than making it from Bird's powder.  To make this powder into
custard requires cooking.  However, looking at your recipe, I think the powder 
is used as a "modified food starch" type substance to get a desired consistency.
There is nothing in the powder the requires cooking (for health reasons), so I
think it would work well in the recipe.  The overnight with the milk would give
the powder the chance to absorb the liquid and soften.

    English  Bird's Custard Powder - sold in US as Bird's Dessert Mix
    in the gourmet/foreign food sections of supermarkets in Gr. Boston.
    It goes for around $1.69 a box which contains several packets.
                                

I have a trip coming up this weekend and have searched endlessly for a recipe
for Pemmican.  It is apparently an old American Indian food..

Anyone know what it is?  Well, I have some Pemmican bars that I bought from a
health food store.  Each one is about the size of a brownie and contains 420 
calories!  Anyways, they are GREAT on the trail BUT they cost $1.30 a piece.
Therefore, I'd like to try making some.

I have a list of the ingredients off the package.  If someone has an idea on 
how to make these, you'd make my day!  I think they need to be baked.  Here are
the ingredients...

Malted Corn
Malted Barley
Nonfat Milk
Honey
Wheat Germ
Raisins
Walnuts
Soy Flour
Soy Oil
Wheat Bran
Pecans
Grape Juice


If you could send me ideas at DNEAST::COMBAR_CURT, I'd appreciate it as I am 
heading out to climb Katadn this weekend and I don't frequent this notesfile.

Thanks!

Curt

>>I have a trip coming up this weekend and have searched endlessly for a recipe
>>for Pemmican.  It is apparently an old American Indian food..

Pemmican is indeed a food of several native American tribes, however, your
list of ingredients is not what the native Americans called for when
making pemmican....and, unless you have a fondness for bear fat, you are
probably not interested in the REAL thing.  I would suggest you look into
making trail mix-type brownies/cookies and substitute a generous amount
of soy flour for some of the flour called for in the recipe.  Start with
the oatmeal recipe included in Quaker Oats - and be creative from there.
Use margarine instead of butter - it travels better, and use whole wheat
flour for added nutrition, and add lots of dried fruits.  If baked as a bar
cookie and then cut, you will have something similar.

Besides, bear fat is pretty hard to come by unless you take the whole bear...
and you really don't want that....

    
    My father-in-law, a real woodsy-type person, once made _real_ 
    pemmican from a recipe he dug up at the historical society.  
    Bear fat is a main ingredient, along with a lot of other things more 
    suitable for landscaping than cooking.  The result is particularly
    vile.
    
    Mike

>    My father-in-law, a real woodsy-type person, once made _real_ 
>    pemmican from a recipe he dug up at the historical society.  
>    Bear fat is a main ingredient, along with a lot of other things more 
>    suitable for landscaping than cooking.  The result is particularly
>    vile.

but boy does it keep your energy up....8^}

The frug had a session where he covered this stuff as well...I hear you
can substitute other forms of animal fat, moose was mentioned as I recall.
He warned us it was "an acquired taste".  I'll pass.

maybe, if it was shaped like a turkey and covered with brioche dough....

Wow, thanks for the neat replies!  I guess I sorta suspected those ingredients
as being pretty contemporary.  The ingredients came from a bar made by "Bear
Valley" products.  They call it Pemmican.  The package says "Natural ingredients
combine to form a protein"...

I guess it's mainly the quick calories I'm looking for and these babies have 400
calories a bar.

Anyways, I made some the other night.  My ingredient list included just about a 
cup of everything.  They tasted almost like the stuff I bought but they didn't 
bake up too well as they were rather hard on top and gooey in the middle/bottom.
I think I'll add more soy flour and less of the barley malt.  Perhaps a couple
eggs would help it be more bready and less gooey also.

Thanks for the replies!

Curt

PS:  I'll post the recipe once I get it perfected.  What should I call it? 
     "Bearly Pemmican?".  ;-)

>PS:  I'll post the recipe once I get it perfected.  What should I call it? 
>     "Bearly Pemmican?".  ;-)

I like it!  Or maybe, "bearless pemmican"....or, well, it's friday so I better
stop now..8^}

Although this recipe isn't exactly what the basenoter is looking for, I thought
I'd post it here since it is a type of almond bar.  This is a great recipe to
make during the summer since you don't have to light the oven!  They're 
delicious...

ALMOND CREAM BARS
-----------------

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup sugar
2 TBS cocoa
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 3/4 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup flaked coconut
Creamy frosting (recipe follows)
2 (1-oz.) squares semisweet chocolate
1 TBS butter or margarine
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Combine first 6 ingredients in a heavy saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring
constantly, until butter melts and mixture begins to thicken.  Remove from heat;
stir in vanilla wafer crumbs, chopped almonds, and coconut.  Press mixture
firmly into an ungreased 9-inch square pan.  Cover and chill thoroughly (can
be made the night before serving).

Spread creamy frosting over chilled almond mixture; cover and chill thoroughly.
Melt semisweet chocolate and 1 TBS butter in a small heavy saucepan over low
heat, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat, and let cool.  Spoon melted
chocolate mixture into a zip-top plastic bag and seal bag.  Snip a tiny hole
in one corner of zip-top bag, using scissors.

Cut chilled mixture into 16 bars.  Remove bars from pan.  Pipe chocolate 
mixture in a decorative design over bars.  Top each bar with toasted almond
slices.

Creamy frosting:

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 TBS whipping cream
1/2 tsp. almond extract (I used only 1/4 tsp.)
2 1/2 to 3 cups sifted powdered sugar

Cream butter, beating at high speed of an electric mixer.  Add whipping cream
and almond extract; mix well.  Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing until
frosting is of spreading consistency.  Yield 1 1/2 cups.

RE: 3342.0

If the Magic Cookie Bar recipe wasn't exactly what you're looking for, maybe
this one will come close:

CANDY GRAHAMS
-------------

1 box graham crackers
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup crushed nuts

Lay crackers in a single layer in a 10 x 15-inch jelly roll pan.  Combine
butter and brown sugar and cook for 2 minutes; spread over crackers.  Sprinkle
with crushed nuts.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Do not overbake.

    Fudgy Chocolate Cookie Bars
    
    1 3/4 C unsifted flour
    3/4 C confectioners sugar
    1/4 C cocoa
    1 C margerine or butter
    1 12-oz pkg chocolate chips
    1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
    1 tsp vanilla
    1 C walnuts, chopped
    
    Preheat oven to 350F.
    In bowl, combine flour, sugar, and cocoa; cut in margerine until
    crumbly. Press on bottomof 13x9-inch pan.
    Bake 15 mins.
    In saucepan, melt *1cup* chocolate chips w/milk and vanilla.
    Pour over crust; top w/walnuts and remaining chips; press down firmly.
    Bake 20 mins or until set.
    Cool, cut into bars

    I have a different version of Congo Bars:
    
    2 C flour
    2 tsp baking powder
    1/4 tsp salt (I omit)
    1/2 C butter
    2 C brown Sugar
    2 eggs
    1 tsp vanilla
    1 C chocolate chips
    
    Melt butter and remove from heat (I use microwave)
    Stir in brown sugar
    Add eggs
    Add vanilla and mix well
    Add dry ingredients
    Add chocolate chips
    Spread in greased (use wrapper from butter to grease pan or use PAM)
    brownie pan
    Bake 20-25 mins at 350.
    Cool and cut.
    
    Very easy. I suppose you could add nuts when adding chocolate chips.
    I've added white chips and they didn't come out as good. Something
    about the white chips - they don't get melty.
    
    beth

    In note .1, it says to pour the condensed milk over the graham cracker
    crumbs and then add the rest of the toppings.  I was also given
    this recipe by my mother-in-law.   When I made them,  they were
    extremely dry and were falling apart, not at all nice and gooey like
    hers.   Is the condensed milk supposed to go on at the end, on top
    of all the layers?   I would think it would be needed to hold it all
    together.  I'm going to make them Sunday and I don't want them to
    come out like they did last time.
    
    Thanks, Pam

Try the recipe in .3 for Princess Bars.  It's identical to the Magic Cookie Bar
recipe except that you pour the milk over everything just before baking.  I
prefer that version since the bars stay moist.  My mother has been making them
for years and years; I think it's just the 1960's version of the Magic Cookie
Bar recipe.

Have fun!

Not knowing where exactly to ask for this I thought I'd try here.  Recently at a
50th birthday party I had something similar to a Magic Cookie Bar but instead
of chocolate chips they had raspberry preserves in them.  I ask the person who
brought them for the recipe, but between the craziness of the party and the
distance she lives from me I don't hold out any real hope of ever getting it.

Any recipes/suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Linda

Were the bars a shortbread base, raspberry jam in the middle, and a walnut
mixture on top?  If they were, I have that recipe and it's delicious. I got
if off the back of the Diamond Walnut package.  If you think it's the right
one, I'll be glad to post it.

    This recipe comes from the back of the Diamond Walnut package, and is 
    also included in The Diamond Walnut Collection Cookbook.  These are
    very tasty, and make a nice addition to holiday and special occasion
    trays (I included a few in all my cookie baskets for Christmas last
    year).
    
    Raspberry-Walnut Shortbread Bars
    
    Shortbread Base (recipe follows)
    1/3 cup raspberry jam
    2 eggs
    1/2 cup packed brown sugar
    1 teaspoon vanilla
    2 tablespoons flour
    1/8 teaspoon salt
    1/8 teaspoon baking soda
    1 cup walnuts
    
    Prepare Shortbread Base.  Press into bottom of lightly greased 9-inch
    square baking pan to make an even layer.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or
    just until edges become lightly golden.  Remove from oven and spread
    raspberry jam over the shortbread.  Beat eggs with brown sugar and
    vanilla until well blended.  Stir in flour mixed with salt and soda. 
    Add walnuts.  Spoon over jam and spread lightly to corners of pan. 
    Return to oven and bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until top is set. 
    Cool in pan then cut into bars.  Makes 24 bars.
    
    Shortbread Base:  Combine 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup
    granulated sugar.  Cut in 1/2 cup butter or margarine until mixture is
    like fine meal.
    
    I usually  make a double recipe of this when I do it.  Cut the bars
    small as they are rich.  Hope you like it.
    
    Cathy

Eureka!  She remembered.  Thought this was worth sharing.


                          Apricot Almond Squares

BASE:

1 pkg. Pillsbury Plus Yellow or White Cake Mix
1/2 C. Parkay margarine or butter, melted
1/2 C. finely chopped almonds
1 C. Kraft apricot preserves  (or seedless Raspberry preserves)

FILLING:

8 oz. pkg. Philadelphia Brand cream cheese, softened
1/4 C. sugar
2 T. flour
1/8 t.salt
1 t. vanilla
1 egg
1/3 C. Kraft apricot preserves (or seedless Raspberry preserves)
1/2 C. coconut



Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Generously grease 13 x 9-inch pan.  In large bowl,
combine cake mix and margarine at low speed until crumbly.  Stir in almonds.
Reserve 1 cup of mixture for filling.  Press remaining base mixture in bottom
of prepared pan.  Carefully spread 1 cup preserves over base. *

In same bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, salt, vanilla and egg until
well mixed.  Blend in 1/3 cup preserves at low speed.  Carefully spread filling
mixture over base.  Combine reserved 1 cup base mixture and coconut; sprinkle
over filling.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and center is
set.  Cool completely.  Store in refrigerator.



Makes 36 bars.


TIP:  For ease in spreading, preserves can be warmed slightly.

    Here's a recipe I pulled from the local newspaper.  It's been a big hit
    every time I make it - reminds me of a Mounds Candy Bar.
    To keep the bar chewy, don't over-cook it!
    
    Coconut-Chocolate Blondies
    
    1/2 c. butter, softened
    1/3 c. sugar
    1/3 c. brown sugar, packed
    1 egg
    1 tsp. vanilla
    1 c. plus 2 Tblsp. Flour
    1/2 tsp baking soda
    1/4 tsp. salt
    1 c. (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate morsels
    1 1/4 c. shredded coconut (flaked works too!)
    1/2 c. chopped pecans.
    
    In bowl of electric mixer, cream butter with sugars at medium speed
    until light.  Beat in egg, then vanilla, mixing until blended.
    Meanwhile sift flour with baking soda and salt and set aside.  Add dry
    ingredients to butter mixture, mixing just until blended.  Add
    chocolate morsels, coconut and pecans and mix by hand until evenly
    distributed.  Transfer dough to greased 9-inch square baking pan,
    spreading evenly.  Bake at 350 degrees, or until top is dry and
    golden, and wood pick inserted in center comes out nearly clean.  Cool
    pan on wire rack then cut in 3x1 inch bars.  Yields 27 bars.
                                          

    Could you please let us know how long to cook these?...they sound
    really good and I'd like to try them.
    
    Thanks,
    
    --Beth

    re: .41  Cooking time for Coconut Blondies is 20-25 minutes.  Sorry for
    the ommission in the recipe - I must have been interrupted by the phone
    during entry!

    These are very rich, ooey-gooey, delicious.
    
    Caramel Nut Bars                          Preheat oven to 350 degrees
    
    1 c quick cooking oats
    1 c brown sugar
    1 c flour
    3/4 c butter
    1/2 t baking soda
    1/4 t salt
    
    14 oz caramels, unwrapped
    1/3 c milk
    3/4 c (6oz) semi-sweet choc chips
    1/2 c chopped walnuts    (I used pecans)
    
    Mix 1st six ingredients.  Sprinkle 1 cup of mixture into a ****well 
    greased**** 9 x 13 pan.  Do not press!  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 
    minutes. Melt caramels and milk in double boiler, this takes about 
    10 minutes.  Pour over baked crust, top with choc chips and nuts.  
    Sprinkle remaining oat mixture.  Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. 
    Cool, refrigerate, then cut.
    
    Try to only eat one! 
    

>Pardon my ignorance of things US, but what are 'caramels' - are they a
>confectionary item, caramel chocolate, or what.

Typically in the US, a reference to "caramels" is to "Kraft Caramels" or
a similar product. Kraft, a major US food producer, packages "caramels"
as confections that are individually wrapped in cellophane/plastic,
measuring about three quarters of an inch square. I think that there are 
basically two varieties - "plain" and "fudge". "Plain" contains no cocoa.

Neither are "true" "caramel". Both contain excessive amounts of corn syrup,
vegetable oil, and what-have-you.

But they work well for melting in a double boiler to coat apples.

    Down in Australia do you have the shortbread with chocolate on
    top and the honey-colored, sweet, chewy, layer in the between?
    Like what you can get in Scotland??  That middle layer is caramel.
    
    Sue
    

    re .44
    
    I made these this weekend - quite easy and QUITE addictive.  Gads!
    
    ~Beth