FRUIT & NUT CHOCLATE BARS

Get a call to make something for the school bake sale or draw ‘dessert’ for the work potluck lunch??

I try to ‘use up’ my baking ingredients at least once a year. A leftover half bag of nuts in the freezer, a portion of a bag of dried fruits in the fridge, the chocolate chips and the remaining package in the graham cracker box in the pantry... Took these newly created yummies to our cousins' house-warming party and they were well-received!

Fruit & Nut Chocolate Bars Makes about 32 bars (2 ½” x 1”)

1 pack (or 1/3 of a box) graham crackers, broken into 4 pieces along the perforated lines *also try with chocolate Graham crackers or cinnamon graham crackers
1 can sweetened condensed milk, divided *I use Fat-Free
2 cups chocolate chips, divided *my preference – bittersweet or semi-sweet, but there are also milk chocolate, white chocolate chips, butterscotch, peanut butter, etc.
1 cup dried shredded coconut
½ to 1 cup dried cranberries, optional *other dried fruits to try– currants, raisins, mixed fruit, mango slices, dried pineapple, etc. (may need to chop into small bits)
½ to 1 cup chopped pecans, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13” baking pan with parchment paper & spray lightly with non-stick spray.

Place the crackers neatly in the pan to cover bottom. (You may need to break a few down to make them fit, but you are looking for an even bottom.)

Lightly drizzle approximately half of the condensed milk over the graham cracker base. Next layer: half the chips, the coconut, the dried fruit, chopped nuts. Drizzle with the other half of the condensed milk. Top with remaining chips and press down firmly with your hands.

Bake 15 minutes, rotate pan and bake 10 minutes more. Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then gently lift out parchment to cool bars completely on a wire rack. Cut and gently remove bars to a serving platter and SHARE!! (I think they are best served in small bite-sized pieces.)

May keep in a covered air-tight container for up to a week. I personally like them right out of the freezer!! --TC, Sacramento, CA - August 2009.