Magic Bars

Happy Friday!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas shared with family and friends. 

Now go grab a glass of milk and get ready for some ooey-gooey goodness.

When I think of holiday baking I automatically think about baking with my mom when I was little. Magic bars and chocolate chip cookies made with love for Santa. Well the cookies were for Santa. The magic bars were for us. We just got to share the cookies with Santa, hehe. I don't remember when we first started making magic bars, but they were definitley made during the Christmas holidays in our house.

A couple of Christmas' ago someone gifted our family some homemade baked goodies. I couldn't believe what I saw when I opened the tin.

I bet you can guess.

Yep, MAGIC BARS! Well I of course had to have one, and oh wow! 

It was like my childhood exploded in my mouth!

The holiday just wouldn't be complete without making a batch of these squares.

Traditionally my mom never fully followed the original recipe. She got rid of the nuts, used more chocolate chips, and added mini marshmallows to the mix. Instead of pouring the whole can of condensed milk over top of the graham crumb base she would pour half and save the other half to pour on top of the chocolate chip/coconut mix. But the best part about making these is that there's real mixing required.  

Magic bars, also know as seven layer bars normally consist of:

1. A graham crumb and butter bottom
2. Semi-sweet chocolate chips
3. Flaked coconut
4. Sweetened condensed milk
5. Chopped nuts
6. And sometimes butterscotch chips and white chocolate chips

These are such a treat. If you've never given them a try then you simply must. They're easy as anything. Even for those people who say they can't bake without setting a fire. Sweet, rich, and delicious. The hardest part is waiting for them to completely cool before you can eat one.

Magic Bars (makes 12-15 bars)

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Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 (14oz) can sweetend condensed milk
• 1 1/3 cups shredded unsweetend coconut 
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 
• 1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter in an 8x8 baking pan (I like to use a non-stick aluminum pan). Make sure the butter is evenly mixed with the graham crumbs. Press the crumbs firmly into the bottom of the pan.
2. Pour half of the condensed milk evenly over the crumb mixture. In a large bowl, toss the coconut and chocolate chips together and then sprinkle evenly into the pan over the condensed milk.
3. Next, layer the marshmallows on top of the chocolate and coconut. Evenly, pour the rest of the condensed milk over top to finsih.
4. Bake for 25 minutes until lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting. 
5. Cut into bars and enjoy!

Honey Mustard Chicken

After a long day of Christmas shopping I came home starving for dinner and wanted nothing more than something fast and tasty. After thinking about my options I quickly decided on making my favourite honey mustard chicken dish.

This very simple dish will delight your taste buds. It is a must try. The flavours blend together to be sweet at the same time as tangy.

I mean, sure, I could have just picked up a pizza or something else that I didn't have to cook.

But who needs take out when I can make this...

So fast and oh so simple. 

Honey, mustard and cider vinegar are really a match made in heaven!

Honey Mustard Chicken with Sauce (serves 3)

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Ingredients:

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, slightly pounded
• 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for cooking the chicken
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp un-pasturized honey
• 2 Tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp water
• sea salt and black pepper, to taste 

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tsp of olive oil, minced garlic, honey, mustard, cider vinegar and water. Hit with a little salt and pepper to suit your taste if desired. 
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add a few splashes of olive oil (or olive oil cooking spray) to the pan and saute chicken for 5-10 minutes or until cooked through and no longer pink on the inside.
3. Add honey mustard mixture to the pan and saute with the chicken for 2-3 minutes. 
4. Serve chicken and then top with the honey-mustard sauce from the pan. Pair with your favourtie veggies. It goes great with baked sweet potato fries or roasted potatoes, and steamed green beans.

Note: The thicker the chicken breasts are the longer they will take to cook. Just pound them slightly with a rolling pin or pan to ensure even cooking.