MAINE VACATION BARS WITH CRANBERRIES AND VANILLA CHIPS

Have you ever had one of those days?  I think I am having one of those lives.  I made two mistakes making these super easy bars.  Luckily you can't really do anything wrong that would effect these easy layered cookie.  Originally called "Hello Dollys" or magic 7 layer bars, the variety of cookies you can make with this recipe is endless.

Sweet, tart and delicious.  Enjoy!

Dried cranberries and vanilla or chocolate chips seem to be made for each other and this is my favorite variation of these bars.  I used the same method I came up with for RASPBERRY OR APRICOT WHITE VANILLA CHIP ALMOND BARS  http://michigancottagecook.blogspot.com/2011/02/raspberry-or-apricot-almond-bars-with.html   with these bars.  I lined the baking pan with non-stick foil with the non-stick side up.  It worked as well with these bars as it did with the raspberry bars.  The foil is lifted out after pan is cooled.  Foil comes right off and the bars are ready to be cut into bars.

I love my method for using non-stick foil to keep the pan clean plus it makes for easy cutting of the bars.

NELDA’S NOR’EASTER WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY BARS
This is one of the cookies that Nelda always has in her freezer ready for company.
For Michigan Lake Effect White Chocolate Cherry Bars, make this recipe with dried cherries instead of dried cranberries.   The cherry version is particularly good with dark chocolate chips.

1 stick butter

1 ½ c crushed graham crackers

1 c coconut

1 c white chocolate chips

1 c dried cranberries
1 c nuts, chopped

1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk

Ingredients:  Graham crackers, nuts, butter, coconut, dried cranberries, sweetened condensed milk AND

White chocolate or white vanilla chips.  This was mistake number one as I forgot to put the chips in the ingredient picture.

Melt butter in a 7x11-inch baking pan.  Layer ingredients in order given.  Do not pat down the graham cracker crumbs.  Drizzle with condensed milk.  Bake in preheated 350° oven for 30 to 35 minutes.  DO NOT OVER-BAKE.  Cool on a rack before cutting into bars.  Chill for easy cutting.

Carefully line a 7x11-inch pan with non-stick aluminum foil. 

Crush graham crackers.

Cut butter into patties and place pan in heating oven.  Be careful, don't let it burn.

Chop nuts.

Butter is melted.

Sprinkle graham crackers crumbs over melted butter.  Do not pat down.

Top graham cracker crumbs with coconut.

Top coconut with white chips. 

Here is mistake number 2:  Top white chips with dried cranberries.  Top cranberries with chopped nuts!!!!!!!!!!  Do as I say, not as I do.

Drizzle sweetened condensed milk over the nuts.  Bake in preheated 350 degree F. oven for 30 to 35 minutes.  Do not over-bake.

Cool on wire rack.  Chill for easy cutting into bars.

Lift foil out of pan.

Remove foil.

See how easy the foil comes off with little sticking to it?

Cut into bars of desired size.

Looking good. 

Ready to serve.  Aren't they pretty?

See all the layers of yummy goodness.

Go ahead and take a bite.

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!!