Hello Dollies

Every year as a child my mother would make a batch of layered bars she dubbed “Hello Dollies” for Christmas. They were ‘rot your teeth out’ sweet and highly addictive. My father would always sneak them out of the cookie tins until there were very few left by the time Christmas actually rolled around.

Whenever I brought a batch of these to potlucks or other events, people would look at me strangely when I told them the name. Why “Hello Dollies”? Mind you, this did not prevent anyone from eating them.

Finally, to assuage my curiosity, I did the usual internet/wikipedia research. Apparently Dolly Parton included these in her cookbook Dolly’s Dixie Fixin’s (yes in addition to Dolly Parton’s many accomplishments and attributes she also authored a cookbook, and yes this was actually the name).  Another story asserts that the recipe is based off of a Hello Dolly Cake recipe that was released in a magazine shortly after the show, Hello Dolly began on Broadway.  They also apparently go by the name of “7 layer bars” (though there are only 5 layers) and “magic bars”.  I am still confused.

But regardless of the name: these are delicious, easy to make, and a staple in my household every holiday season.

Make sure to allow the bars to completely cool before cutting.  I usually leave them overnight before attempting to cut.  I also make sure to cut them into small portions as they are decadent.

Hello Dollies

1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, cut into large pieces
1 1/2 cups graham crackers crumbs (about 8 graham crackers, pulsed in a food processor)
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk (almost all of a small can)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter and combine with the graham cracker crumbs. Mix and then press evenly into the bottom of lined 8×8 baking pan.

Layer coconut, pecans, butterscotch and chocolate chips on top of graham cracker base. Pour sweetened condensed milk over whole mixture.

Bake in oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is light brown.