Sheila's Dream Bar

Either you knew exactly what I was talking about from the title or you have missed this treat from Potbelly Sandwiches. Quite possible. A chain but not yet national.

I was trying to find the recipe on the net with no success. Potbelly will also not divulge. Does anyone know if one of the "restaurant secrets" cookbooks has tackled them? Or, does anyone know Sheila the CEO's wife? I must have this recipe, similar bars are not good enough.

Really? No one?

I need a childishly bawling emoticon.

Give them time. Some people only log on here once a week or so.

I would like to help, but I haven't heard of that chain or the dessert you ask about.

divefl-
Pardon my ignorance, but are we talking about something similar to a brownie or cookie?

I would liken it to an oatmeal cookie bar with caramel and chocolate chips. We have also had confirmation that there is coconut in it, but I can't taste it.

[img]http://a3.vox.com/6a00c11414fb755af500c2252bdc5bf219-500pi[/img]

One mock recipe, though a poster wrote it was nothing like the original.

Thanks,

Kevin

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Dream-Bars-I/Detail.aspx

I stupidly just now noticed your comment about similar bars failing. Sorry.

It could have a lot to do with the cooking too. They put their sandwiches on a conveyor belt broiler type thing (think Quiznos, but good) I've seen them cook their cookies, and I assume the bars, the same way. May help it stay really gooey in the middle.

They taste like the Potbelly's oatmeal chocolate chip cookies had a baby with a stick of butter. They are YUMMMMMM.

Ask them next time you are there-I am sure, unfortunately, that they come in frozen and are baked off at the restaurant.The recipe KOK provided is good-just add chocolate chips...

quote:

Originally posted by divefl (think Quiznos, but good)

Dammit man, we're only human!

I have a label with a list of ingredients from a dream bar. There is no coconut listed as I've seen in other posts except the coconut oil in the shortening. Leaving out the emulsifiers, vitamin b3 and stabilizers, this list (in order of greatest to least quantity) might be cobbled into a match:

Butter, Bleached Wheat Flour, Brown Sugar, Rolled Oats, Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, Taffy Apple Fudge: (Evaporated milk, milk, carageenan (thickener - use corn starch?), sugar, corn syrup, shortening, artificial flavor (apple flavor extract can be found online), nonfat dry milk, salt baking powder), Artificial flavors (probably vanilla), Salt, Baking soda.

Time to experiment...

Guess at crust and topping
1 cup butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Guess at apple fudge (I think this might be too much fudge. Half of the milk/sugar might do. I’ve never used apple extract so I have no idea what to expect, but one has to start somewhere.)
1 can of evaporated milk (I wonder what sweetened condensed milk might do)
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp apple flavored extract (http://www.faeriesfinest.com/E113.html)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

The bottom of the crust doesn’t have chocolate chips. There is also crust on top. The fudge isn’t spread evenly because the top & bottom crust are combined in most places.

I would layer the bottom, add a layer of the fudge and then top with remaining. Probably half and half. I wouldn’t bake the bottom crust separately. The fudge might migrate to the top in places during baking. They aren’t baked hard like some bars, so I don’t think they are baked too long. I’d start at 325 for 25 minutes and go from there.

So here’s my guess.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F

Cream the butter with 1/2 cup brown sugar. Combine remaining ingredients except chocolate chips. Press half of this mixture into the bottom of one 8x12 inch baking dish. Combine chocolate chips with remaining mixture.

For the fudge: combine evaporated milk and sugar in a sauce pan and heat to boiling. Reduce heat and stir over low heat for 5 or 10 minutes (until sugar is completely dissolved). Remove from heat and combine remaining ingredients.

Pour fudge over crust and layer with remaining crust mixture.

Bake for 25 minutes and see what happens. I wouldn’t be surprised if this needs to be baked at 350 and for maybe 35 or 40 minutes, but I prefer to err on the undercooked side and throw it in for additional time if it doesn’t look right.

Remember (as I have said) this is a guess. It'll take me some time (with busy life) to actually do any work with this. If I succeed, I'll post here. Hopefully someone else decides to tackle this and make a good facsimile of Sheila's Dream Bar to save me the work ;)

Peace,
D~

Taffy apple fudge doesn't have any actual apples in it!!!!!!!!!

It's a cooking caramel that is the consistency & thickness of fudge when it's not warm. You can melt it in a crock pot to use at a make-your-own taffy-apple party, which we do every year for a work event. Please don't use apple extract, the flavor won't come out right. They are most likely talking about artificial caramel flavor, most likely to cover the carageenan (seaweed for those who don't know!) flavor!

Like I said before, it tastes just like the chocolate chip oatmeal cookies except with more butter & a tad more sugar. They are very very good.

Davidsain, welcome to roadfood....enjoy!!!

Layered Coconut Bars (Magic Cookie Bars)
1 1/2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/2 cup Butter
1 (14oz) can Sweetened Condensed Milk (not evaporated milk)
2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 1/3 cups Flaked Coconut
1 cup Chopped Nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs
and butter; mix well. Press crumb mixture firmly on bottom of 13x9-inch
baking pan.

Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with
remaining ingredients; press down firmly with fork.

Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Chill if desired. Cut into
bars or diamonds. Store leftovers covered at room temperature.

Makes 2 to 3 dozen bars
I have had these and found the recipe my friend gave me ages ago-sounds pretty similar, but no oatmeal-I am sure you could add some if desired...