This past weekend marked the culmination of a month of celebrating the wedding of two of my favorite people: my brother Craig and his new wife, Jennifer. It began with a surprise civil ceremony at our Passover seder, performed by my husband Doug in front of our  (very surprised) family. Following that, we jetted off to Paris with our immediate family for the real deal at the Shangri La Hotel, the Eiffel Tower piercing the skyline behind them as they said “I do.” This past weekend,  extended family and friends on both sides came together for lots of lunches, dinners, and one incredible reception honoring the couple. When I say I’m going to be in withdrawals from not seeing these people in the immediate future, I think it’s an understatement. We’re already trying to think of reasons to throw parties in the upcoming months so we can all be together again.

Guests stayed at a beautiful hotel in the heart of Houston for the reception, and for the hospitality suite for guests to enjoy while staying there, I made something I’d never made before: Hello Dollies, also called magic bars or seven layer bars. These bars are the easiest treat I’ve ever baked, and everyone seemed to love them. I love to bake from scratch when I have time, but I’m all about maximum impact, minimum effort these days, so these were a win/win.

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 stick (8 tbs) butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (or more… you can never have enough!)
1 cup pecans or nuts of your choice (optional)
1 14 oz. can condensed sweetened milk

Directions

1. Melt butter and mix with graham cracker crumbs and cinnamon. Flatten dough into 9 x 13″ pan. For thicker bars, use an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9.
2. Layer ingredients as shown above.
3. Pour condensed milk evenly over the layers.
4 Bake until golden brown, cut when cool.