Magical Cookies.

Years ago I discovered my love for baking goodies for my family and friends.  I'd ask someone to tell me a favorite dessert of theirs and then proceed to perfect it.  I love to make people feel special on their birthdays and my way of doing so is by preparing their favorite treat!

Dessert is my favorite part of a meal.  Although I enjoy cooking, I find baking and decorating something sweet to be more therapeutic and exciting.  I've learned some of my favorite recipes from people in my family or friends.  The taste of a favorite food or act of preparing one can be nostalgic.  I still remember rolling meatballs in my grandmothers kitchen when i was little and when the smell of my mothers Cream Puffs permeates through my house every few weeks I find it to be comforting.  Whether I'm making my father's favorite "Ice box" cake (stove prepared pudding layered with graham crackers and put in the refrigerator overnight) or a fancy Lemon Merengue Pie as per request of my friend Irwin at work it gives me great pleasure to roll up my sleeves and bust out the ingredients!

My friend Eric works with me at Xoma Salon  and is the best make-up artist around. Eric celebrated a birthday last week and he happens to love Magic Cookies.  Magic Cookies are delicious,  they are loaded with graham, chocolate chips, coconut and walnuts and also are super easy to make!  I like to use this recipe from  Taste of Home.

Ingredients

• Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 2 cups (12 oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Directions

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13 x 9-inch baking pan with no-stick cooking spray.
• Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter in small bowl. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts. Press down firmly with fork.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Loosen from sides of pan while still warm; cool on wire rack. Cut into bars or diamonds. Yield: 2 dozen bars. 
  
  TIP For perfectly cut cookie bars, line entire pan with foil, extending foil over edge of pan. Coat lightly with no-stick cooking spray. After bars have baked and cooled, lift up with edges of foil to remove from pan. Cut into individual bars.
  
  VARIATIONS
  
  Substitute chocolate chips or nuts with candy coated pieces, dried cranberries, raisins, mini-marshmallows or butterscotch chips.