It is Finals Week at Buffalo State.  Instead of final exams, my program is spending Monday – Thursday, 8 am – 4 pm, sitting in a small room and filling out various forms, handing in portfolios, and doing presentations.  Fun, right?

Yesterday, my group gave an hour(+) presentation on food service and food safety, complete with pre- and post-tests.  We did a quiz bowl style post-test and I was responsible for bringing in a prize for the winners.  Dietitian that I am, my mind went to cookies first.

I wanted to do something in bar form and I wanted to come up with a new recipe that I had never made before.  I thought of doing a twist on 7-Layer (Hello Dolly/Magic) Bars but I knew that I had to get rid of the coconut because some crazy people don’t like it.

Enter Seven Layers in Heaven Bars.  Aka Sweet and Salty 7-Layer Bars.  Aka Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel {Toffee Graham Cracker} Bars.

I made enough for everyone – we’re all winners – and all were gone by the end of the day.  When you get a group of Dietitians to go back for seconds on dessert, you know you’ve done a good job!

Seven Layers in Heaven Bars, makes 20 squares

adapted from the recipe for 7-layer bars

• 7 graham cracker sheets, crushed
• 6 Tbsp salted butter
• 3/4 cup Heath Toffee Bits
• 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup peanut butter chips
• 1 and 1/4 cup crunched salted, thins-style pretzels
• 15 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk (just measure a scant cup)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
2. Place butter in a 9×9 inch baking dish in the pre-heating oven until melted.
3. Pour graham cracker crumbs into melted butter, mix together with a fork, and press into a thin, even layer in the bottom of the baking dish.
4. Sprinkle the toffee bits, milk chocolate chips, and peanut butter chips over the crust.  Top with crushed pretzels.  Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk on top.
5. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sweetened condensed milk no longer looks soupy.
6. Allow to cool before cutting into squares.  You can serve these right away, but if there is a time gap I recommend storing them in the freezer so that they get nice and firm.