Not Your Mama's Magic Bars

First, I'm gonna need for you to use your imagination a bit.  What you are about to see is NOT red and green Christmas candy...we are going to visualize them as red, white and pink for Valentine's!  Okay, everybody with me?  You ready?

BAM! Valentine's Magic Bars with a Twist.  These bad boys are AWE-SOME.  As in awesomely delicious.  A little creativity based on the ever popular and traditional Magic Bars. (Or some people know them as 7 layer bars).  I had every intention of making Magic Bars for Christmas.  They just seem like a Christmas treat to me.  I guess because that is the only time of year I remember my mom making them.  However, Christmas came and went...with no Magic Bars.  Since I still had all of the ingredients, it didn't seem right to let these pretty M's go to waste just because they were red and green.  So, I set about gathering my ingredients for my much anticipated Magic Bars. I knew I had bought all of the ingredients.  ALL of the ingredients.  So imagine my irritation surprise when there are no graham crackers to be found. I was not happy.  So, I looked around the pantry, and see Club Crackers (leftover from the DIY Twix Bars...also delicious btw).  Yep, this Mama was gonna have her some Magic Bars.  A few extra things found there way into these bars as well.

Oh yeahhhh....bring it.

Baked up in all of their ooey, gooey, chewy, sweet and salty perfection.

Not Your Mama's Magic Bars 

adapted from Keebler Magic Cookie Bars

1 1/2 cups crushed Club crackers

1/3 cup butter*, melted

1 can sweetened condensed milk*

3/4 cup shredded coconut

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup butterscotch chips

3/4 cup M&M candies (any colors!)

small bag of mini Rolos, halved

chopped pecans (optional)

*I used light butter and fat free sweetened condensed milk b/c I wanted to make this diet friendly. Just kidding, that is just what I had on hand, and the bars turned out great. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  

Melt butter in 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan (I did this in the oven while it was preheating). 

Sprinkle cracker crumbs over butter and pat down to make the "crust".  (I crushed the crackers with a food processor, but you could also place them in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Or wine bottle. Whatever's handy.)

Pour condensed milk evenly over cracker/butter crust.

Sprinkle coconut, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, M&M's, Rolos and nuts (if using) over top. 

Bake for 25 minutes or until light brown around edges. 

Cool completely before cutting into bars. 

All I can say is...make these.  The next holiday is Valentine's, and nobody needs to diet on Valentine's.  Go enjoy some mo'betta magic. hahaha, that sounded so cheese-y.  Seriously, these bars have a little something for everyone, and you can adapt the toppings to whatever you like or have on hand.  I love the club crackers as opposed to the graham crackers, b/c you get a little hint of saltiness mixed in with all that sweet.  Yep. There gooood.

I am linking this recipe up at (Monday) Holly's Stamping Addiction, The Dedicated House, Homemaker on a Dime,Delightfully Dowling, Skip to my Lou, Project Inspire, Making the World Cuter, Mrs. Happy Homemaker, I Should Be Mopping the Floor, This Gal Cooks  (Tuesday) Naptime Creations, Mandy's Recipe Box, Pocket Change Gourmet,  33 Shades of Green, Blessed with Grace, Zentmrs. & The Mr., Memories By the Mile (Wednesday) Adorned from Above, Lady Behind the Curtain, Ginger Snap Crafts, Hungry Little Girl, (Thursday)Taste and Tell,  Miz Helen's Country Cottage, The Mandatory Mooch,  (Friday) Simple Living and Eating, Just Us Four, Bacon Time with the Hungry Hungry Hypo, Diana Rambles, The Better Baker, Not Your Ordinary Recipies, Craftionary, Mummy Deals, One Artsy Mama, The Best Blog Recipes, One Creative Mommy, (Saturday) Sweet as Sugar Cookies,  Six Sisters' Stuff, (Sunday) Mommy's Sweet Confessions