Abracadabra Bars

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I love magic bars.  You know the ones?  Graham cracker crust and topped with a sinful mixture of nuts, various chips, and coconut and then covered with sweetened condensed milk?  I never make them because I can't be trusted not to scarf up an entire pan in the blink of an eye.

For whatever reason, magic bars were on my mind the other day.  So I set out to improve on what was already pretty perfect.  I'm calling my bars Abracadabra Bars since they taste like they were sprinkled with magic and disappeared faster than a magician can wave his wand.

Change number one - bacon.  Of course.  My daughter asked me the other day why I add bacon to everything.  I thought it was a silly question, especially coming from a person whose hand is constantly being smacked away as she sneaks bites of the bacon that I am putting in everything.  Can't blame her though.  Bacon is at its tastiest when eaten in little bites from a pile of paper towels, still warm from the pan.

Change number two - oats.  I added some instant oats to the crust in addition to the traditional graham cracker crumbs.  This little change added more texture to a bar that is all about texture.  With bacon and oats, these bars are practically breakfast food.

Lastly, I tweaked the quantities on the chocolate and butterscotch chips as well as the coconut. I normally don't have any use for butterscotch chips but their caramel flavor works well here.  Especially in smaller quantities since they can be overally sweet.  More chocolate.  No explanation needed.  Less coconut.  I don't have any rationale for this decision since I adore coconut, just seemed right.

An undesired side effect of writing this post has been two of the most annoying songs of all time, "Do You Believe In Magic" and "Abracadabra" running through my head.  Ugh.


Let me tell you, these were fantastic.  Fantastic.  With their craggy surface is a vertable flavor landscape.  I love the contrast of textures.  The sticky crackle of the bacon, the smoothness of the chips, the chewy coconut, the crunch of the pecans meld together into the perfect combination.  The bacon added the smoky flavor as only bacon can but didn't overpower the other flavors.  One of my best efforts recently!


Linking To:  Six Sisters Strut Your Stuff Saturday Link Party

Abracadabra Bars

6 strips bacon
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup instant oats
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup grated or shredded coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 

Line 9 x 13 inch pan with sheet of parchment paper so that paper hangs over sides creating a sling.

Chop bacon into small pieces and cook until crisp.  Drain and set aside.

Mix graham cracker crumbs, oats, and butter in bowl until combined.  Press into bottom of pan.  Spread pecans evenly over crust then follow with butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, bacon, and coconut.  Pour sweetened condensed milk over.

Place pan in oven and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes, until top is slightly brown.  Cool in pan for at least 30 minutes, longer if possible to allow bars to set.  Remove bars using parchment paper sling and cut.