It’s November, so that’s officially time to start your holiday baking, right?
Maybe I just love the season too much, but right about now I start planning all my holiday baking. Baking cookies. Baking bars. I feel good knowing all my favourites are tucked in the freezer, ready to pull out during December or any time I need to party!
One of the treats I always have on hand is the classic Hello Dolly. The combination of a crumb crust, gooey coconut, dark chocolate and crunchy nuts is … well… perfection. Is it possible to improve on perfection? Yup. These Chocolate-Cherry Hello Dollies take you one step closer to heaven.
I think I’m always saying “these freeze really well”, but to me that’s a huge plus for a recipe. I can’t eat all these bars the day I make then (well that’s not true… I could… I just shouldn’t…) so freezing in the just-baked goodness is a must.
What makes these Chocolate-Cherry Hello Dollies different? To start the crust… I switched out the graham crackers for cheese crackers. That sound bad, but trust me, they taste awesome. I also added the tart sweetness of dried cherries which plays sooo nicely with dark chocolate.
Hey, did you miss the launch of the Holiday issue of EatInEatOut™ magazine last week? It’s our 5th anniversary collector’s edition and also the final magazine we will be publishing. While the recipe inspiration will continue here on The Blog, we certainly said goodbye to the magazine in style… just click.
- 2 cups Ritz crackers, crushed
- 3 Tbsp canola oil
- 1 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
- ½ cup dried cherries, chopped
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 300 mL can sweetened condensed milk
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray bottom of 8”x8” baking pan and line with parchment.
- Grind crushed crackers and oil in a food processor until finely ground. Press mixture evenly into bottom of prepared pan.
- Layer coconut, cherries, walnuts and chocolate chips. Pour condensed milk evenly over the top.
- Bake until edges are lightly brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 15 minutes. Run a knife around edges of pan to loosen. Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours. Cut into squares.
Lori loves to create simple and delicious meals that are ready in 30 minutes or less!
I’m always trying to find a new bar for the holidays, and this looks like THE one try this year! The Ritz cracker crust sounds odd, but will trust you on this! I’m also not a fan of walnuts, so I may swap sliced almonds to enhance the coconut/cherry combination. Can’t wait to try! Thanks!
Hi – I think my Dad will love these! Quick question though – there is a can of sweetened condensed milk listed in the ingredients, but it’s not mentioned anywhere in the instructions. In the picture it looks like it is combined with the coconut, but I don’t want to assume…
Thanks!
Bev
Hi Bev, thanks for keeping me on my toes! I have updated the recipe instructions, I missed a step. The condensed milk is poured over top.