Hello Dollies


Hello Dollies are one of my favorite Christmas treats!

hello dollies



I can't say that these are "healthy", though! That's why I make them just once a year.

These look great on a tray of Christmas baking. Packaged in a fancy tin, they make a nice gift.

These are quick and easy to make, too!



Check that you have these staples at home

  • in the cupboard

    • graham cracker crumbs
    • brown sugar
    • coconut
    • chocolate chips
    • Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk

  • in the fridge or freezer

    • butter
    • walnuts

Get out your equipment

  • Essential

    • a small bowl
    • measuring cups and spoons
    • a can opener
    • a square baking pan




    The recipe

    1 cup/250 mL graham cracker crumbs

    1 Tbsp/15 mL brown sugar

    1/4 cup/60 mL melted butter

    1 cup/250 mL chopped walnuts

    1 cup/250 mL unsweetened flaked coconut

    1 cup/250 mL chocolate chips

    1 can (14 oz or 300 mL) Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk

    Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
    Grease an 8 inch/20 cm square baking pan.

    In a small bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs and the brown sugar.
    Add the melted butter and stir till well mixed.
    Press this mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.

    Spread the nuts evenly over the crumb mixture.

    Sprinkle the coconut evenly over that.

    Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over that!

    Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over everything.

    Bake until lightly browned on the edges (about 20 minutes).



    Substitutions

    • Use pecans or cashews in place of the walnuts.

    Ideas for making this recipe your own

    • Experiment with different crumbs in place of the graham cracker crumbs. You can make your own crumbs by crushing wafer cookies with a rolling pin.

    • Try using butterscotch chips, or white chocolate chips, in place of (or mixed with) the chocolate chips.

    • What else could you use for a layer? How about raisins or dried cranberries? Please let me know how the Hello Dolly squares turn out if you try something new!

    Tips

    • I don't often recommend specific brands, but I have found that in this recipe, using Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk gives the best results. I tried using a generic brand a few times, but every time, the Hello Dollies came out of the oven crumbly. (They still tasted great, though!)

    • If there are nut allergies in your family, leave out the nuts completely and add more chocolate chips.




    If you enjoy this recipe, you may also like these other Christmas cookie recipes:












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Wisconsin USA


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