For people who don’t care for chocolate (yes, gasp!), I make these chewy bar cookies with cranberries, raisins, or butterscotch chips. I may also omit the nuts if I am unsure about food allergies for a large group.

• 1 box (3 cups) graham cracker crumbs. If you only have whole graham crackers, then it used to be about 20 rectangles or 40 squares would crush down to 3 cups of crumbs. The size of the crackers has continued to change over time so you might need a few more crackers these days.
• 2 cans Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
• 12 oz. chocolate chips (alternatives: 12-16 oz raisins, cranberries, or chopped figs OR 12 oz butterscotch chips)
• 1 cup chopped pecans (can be left out, or can be substituted with other nuts)

Mix all ingredients an a bowl until thoroughly mixed and all crumbs are moistened. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to get all the cracker crumbs mixed in to the condensed milk.  Spray a 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking dish with Pam and line with parchment paper if you have it (for an easy clean up).  Dump the heavy cookie mixture into the baking dish and spread evenly across the bottom of the pan.  This “cookie” does not rise very much, so the thickness of the cookie bar will be similar to a brownie, but heavier.

Bake at 350° F for 30-35 minutes.  Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes then cut with a plastic knife.

March 2023 cookout at Wiess versions included Butterscotch and Hazelnut bars, as well as Fig and Raisin Bars with no nuts.