Tag Archives: “Feliz Navidad”

I love the holiday season: the special time with family and friends, the decorations, the music, and the food!  I love that each family celebrates differently, too – unique traditions, meals, recipes.  Now that I’m an adult it’s fun to hold on to old traditions and create new ones.  Before I get to this month’s recipe, here are a few of my favorite holiday-related “ingredients”, typically enjoyed during the month of December:

The smell of fresh Christmas trees – Enough said.
Decorations – I especially love the lights!
The song “Feliz Navidad” – I remember dancing around to this song when I was a kid.  It made me happy, and still does.  The original version by José Feliciano is the best!
Holiday baking – When I was young we had sugar cookies, Magic Cookie Bars (recipe below), and fudge at Christmas.  Yum!  This is one tradition I’ve chosen to carry on.
“Waltz of the Flowers” – When I was eleven and taking ballet, my class performed a dance to this song from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker.  The Nutcracker is on my play list every December, and it invokes feelings of both nostalgia and festivity.
Tamales – One of my husband’s family’s traditions is making tamales, and they’re SO good!  Whether you choose a tamal that’s sweet or one that’s savory, they’re corn husk-wrapped goodness.

On to the Recipe…

This month’s recipe is brought to you by my childhood.  My mom found this recipe on a can of sweetened condensed milk when I was very young, and it’s been a must-bake recipe ever since.  These babies are dangerous; I could literally eat a pan all by myself, but they’re also quick, easy, and great for sharing.

Some people make a version of these bars with butterscotch chips as well, which I think is total blasphemy.  Don’t do it!  If you follow the recipe exactly, including the layering order of the last three ingredients, you’ll be very happy with the results.  Everyone who eats them will be, too!

So, without further ado, here is the recipe for Magic Cookie Bars. Simple, but soooooo good!

Magic Cookie Bars

(Makes 24 bars)
½ cup butter or margarine
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1½ cups angel flake coconut – sweetened
1 cup chopped nuts (preferably walnuts)
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  (325 degrees for a glass dish)  In a 13×9-inch baking pan, melt butter.  Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over butter; pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumbs.  Top evenly with remaining ingredients (coconut, then the walnuts, then the chocolate chips); press down gently.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Cool thoroughly before cutting.  Store, loosely covered, at room temperature.

I hope you enjoy these cookie bars, and I hope your ingredients for a festive December all come together beautifully.

Warm regards,
Melody