Triple Layer Cookie Bars--Week #8 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies

I wanted to make 7-layer bars for this week's cookie, because I have a bit of a weakness for them and suspect it will be a loooooooong time before I can go to a coffeehouse and have one as one of my rare ultimate indulgences.  When I started to look over the ingredients to make them to see if I had everything I needed, I discovered some oversized varmints, ie the kids and hubby, had eaten all the graham crackers!  I decided this recipe with its three delicious layers would be close enough to satisfy my craving and just used ingredients that no one had gotten into (probably because I tend to hide certain valuables, like chocolate chips!).

My cell phone camera does NOT do this thing justice!

Triple Layer Cookie Bars

1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup cocoa powder (the baking stuff, not the hot cocoa stuff)

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, cold

2 eggs, beaten

1 7oz pkg flaked cocnut

1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups chocolate chips

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 baking pan.  In a medium mixing bowl, mix together flour, sugars, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.  Use a pastry blender to cut in butter, until mixture resembles fine crumbs.  Mix in eggs; you may need to use your hands to get the last bit of powderiness mixed in.  Press dough into the bottom of the baking pan to form a crust.  Bake for 8 minutes.  Spread coconut in an even layer over crust.  Drizzle sweetened condensed milk over the coconut.  Bake an additional 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned.  Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter in a double boiler (or in a saucepan over really, really low heat!), stirring constantly until smooth.  Spread over bars.  Let cool completely before cutting.

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