Salty Sweet Magic Cookie Bars with Pretzel Crust

Growing up cookies were chocolate chip and at the holidays spritz and rolled out sugar cookies. I only really discovered bar cookies once I started blogging and have to say, I likey! These Salty Sweet Magic Cookie Bars with Pretzel Crust couldn't be easier so if you're new to cookie baking or have had a few, um, bloopers in the kitchen... I think you'll like giving any of the "magic" cookies a try.

There are two very similar recipes out there, Magic Bars (or Seven Layer Magic Bars) and Hello Dollies. It seems the difference between the two is the Magic ones get the sweetened condensed milk poured over the crust and the Dollies call for pouring the milk over all the toppings. I poured it over everything, baked them and then pushed colored candy into the top. When you bake the candy (M&M's or Sixlets) it tends to crack, I think it's just prettier adding it at the end.

There's no limit to what you could add to these cookies folks. Let's see, salty... What else is salty... 

Oh yea, bacon:@) 

Since we were a house divided...

I didn't add it but did see where others have and that would make the cookies true football food- 

just add candy in your team colors!

Salty Sweet Magic Cookie Bars with Pretzel Crust
3 C mini pretzels-I didn't have graham crackers
2 Tblsp sugar
1/2 C butter, melted
1 C chocolate chips-I mixed chocolate and white chocolate, colored chips would be good too
1 C shredded coconut
1 C nuts: peanuts, walnuts or pecans-I used roasted salted peanuts
14oz can sweetened condensed milk
candy toppers in holiday or team colors

1. Crush pretzels (I used a food processor). 
2. Line a 9x13 pan with foil and spritz with spray (I used Reynolds Release). Pour pretzel crumbs, sugar and melted butter on top of foil. Mix well and press down firmly to create the bottom crust. Fingers work well:@)
3. Layer topping ingredients, all recipes seem to start with the chocolate chips though... 
4. Slowly pour sweetened condensed milk over everything, cover the whole pan with milk and make sure some gets drizzled into the sides of the pan too.
5. Bake at 350 degrees (325 if using a glass baking dish) for about 25 minutes. You'll begin to smell the nuts and the sides get nice and golden brown.
6. As soon as it's out of the oven push seasonal/holiday colored candies into the top. 
7. Completely cool in the pan, pull the cookies out of the pan by the foil, cut and enjoy!

Let's do some holiday baking (Reese's Pieces are good for Thanksgiving) and have a happy day:@)

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