"Hello Dolly" Cake

I should rename this "Hello Sandy" in honor of the hurricane that's currently wreaking havoc in my neck of the woods.  But these bar cookies would be equally delicious in stormy and sunny weather, and everything in between.

My mother used to make a version of these; she called them Seven Layer Bars. And early in my marriage, the DH would eat bar after bar of these treats as soon as we passed my mother's threshold.  They're that addicting. And they're so easy, that a child can make these.  Which may be an excellent activity to all NYC residents, since school will be closed tomorrow. As an added bonus, it's less messy than even a one-bowl cake -- everything is placed in the pan in which it is baked.

Preheat your oven to 350 and then melt a stick of butter in a 9 x 9 pan.

While that's melting, crush up some graham crackers.  A ziplock bag and a rolling pin (or wine bottle) works beautifully.  You can also use a food processor, but why dirty a piece of kitchen equipment?

Next, sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs atop the melted butter.

Place the coconut on top, and then add the chocolate chips and chopped nuts.

Next, pour a can of sweetened condensed milk over the cake.

Bake for about 30 minutes. And, voila!

This obviously well-loved recipe was printed using a mimeograph machine, and tucked inside one of my vintage recipe boxes.

Important production note: Your life will be soooo much easier if you line the pan completely with parchment paper or aluminum foil.  This way, when the cake is done, you can simply lift it from the pan.  This makes cutting it into bars so much easier.