Gingerbread Magic Bars

You know my house likes the 7 layer magic bars, and I have found several different recipes for them.  I did not go looking for this recipe it just kind of fell into my lap.  It happened at a really good time too.  I will share that story in a minute.

I modified the recipe a little bit.  I will share what I have changed and what is the original recipe. This recipe is suppose to have gingersnap cookie crumbs.

Here is the story.  I make gingerbread men.  I get request for them all the time.  I was fixing a box to send with my parents and a friend.  I had two big boxes of them.  I lifted the top box and the bottom box stuck to it and fell to the floor.  Of course the bottom box was the larger of the two boxes and most of the cookies crumbled.  I know that broken cookies do not have calories but still I almost cried.  I didn't throw them away I thought for sure I would find a recipe that used broken cookies and sure enough I did.

I needed a 1 1/2 of crumbs, so I used the food processor to make fine crumbs.

Use 1 stick butter softened.  Mine was not as soft as I would have liked but I struggled through.

Add 1 1/2 cups crumbs to the butter

1/2 cup flour.  I was also suppose to add 1 teaspoon baking powder but forgot until I put them in the oven.  I am not use to adding the powder.  Most of the other recipes does not have it included.

Mix it well.  I had a mess all over the countertop after mixing.

You can use a 9x13 pan but I used a 9x9 to make them a little thicker.  Spray the pan and then press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan.

Start with 1 cup flaked coconut

Sprinkle on top of the crust.

The recipe calls for cinnamon chips.  I have used them before and not crazy for them, so I subbed about 3/4 cup milk chocolate.

Sprinkled around on top of the coconut.

The recipe called for 1 cup of white chocolate chips.  I used about 3/4 cup of these as well.

I like butterscotch too so I added a little less than 3/4 cup of these chips as well. The recipe did not call for these so add them don't add them it won't matter

Doesn't that look good with all those chips?

At this point I wasn't looking at the recipe so I did this out of order.  Take 1 cup pecans.

Rough chop them.

Add them on top.  Now the recipe calls for the sweetened condensed milk to be added first.

Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly on top

All evenly poured.  Place in a preheated 325 oven  Bake for about 30 minutes.

Fresh from the oven.  The longer it sits the easier it is to cut into squares.

Gingerbread Magic Bars Recipe

1/2 cup butter softened

1 1/2 cup gingersnap crumbs or gingerbread cookies crushed

1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup coconut

1 c cinnamon chips or milk chocolate

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup chopped pecans

can add 3/4 cup butterscotch chips

Place in a preheated 325 oven and bake for 30 minutes.