I have had 7 layer bars at many a potluck. I don’t ever recall hearing them called “Hello Dolly’s,” but that is apparently another name for the chocolatey, nutty goodness. Rumor has it, the name came about during the 1960’s when the musical “Hello Dolly!” was on Broadway. In tribute to the restaurant scene in the show, someone submitted a recipe with that name and the name stuck. I was perusing my husband’s grandmother’s copy of the 1989 Lawings Chapel Baptist Church cookbook - which is fantastically titled “A Southern Bit of Heaven From the Families of Lawings Chapel Baptist Church” - and found this recipe. In a bit of a coincidence, a touring production of “Hello Dolly!” happens to be in Charlotte right now, so I was inspired to make these. They are super easy to make, and always a smash hit.
Ingredients: graham cracker crumbs, butter, chocolate chips, coconut flakes, pecans, sweetened condensed milk
Step 1: melt the butter in the baking dish. (You can use any oven safe dish. I chose a jelly roll pan.) Step 2: mix melted butter with graham cracker crumbs and press into bottom of pan. (I followed the recipe and used 1 cup of crumbs. I think more crumbs would have made a sturdier base, so you can adjust that up to 2 cups if you wish.) Step 3: top with coconut, chocolate chips, and pecans, in that order. Step 4: pour sweetened condensed milk over all. Step 5: bake until set. Cool and cut into squares.
Source: Barbara Williams, A Southern Bit of Heaven From the Families of Lawings Chapel Baptist Church 1989
Hello Dolly's
Recipe:
1 stick of butter or margarine
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup coconut flakes
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup pecans or nut of your choice
1 14oz. Can of sweetened condensed milk
Preheat oven to 325. Melt the butter in the baking dish. Mix melted butter with graham cracker crumbs and press into bottom of pan. Top with coconut, chocolate chips, and pecans, in that order. Pour sweetened condensed milk over all. Bake until set. Cool and cut into squares.
Source: Barbara Williams, A Southern Bit of Heaven From the Families of Lawings Chapel Baptist Church 1989