When I attended Clarion University of Pennsylvania, I studied Elementary Education. I use the term, “study,” loosely because I don’t remember much about education, but I do remember the Seven Layer Cookies my roommate, Margaret brought back with her.
Her mom, Mrs. Spratt, lined a box with aluminum foil and filled it with homemade cookies everyone in the dorm swooned over — if they could pry one from my hands.
We stayed in a freshman dorm called Forest Manor, which sounds way nicer than the concrete bunker it was, located about half a mile from the rest of campus. Detainees are kept in better looking places. The floors were concrete, covered by very thin, ugly gray, scratchy floor coverings (I can’t really call them rugs). We were given two beds, two desks and little potential for cuteness, but we tried; warming it up with cheerful red checked curtains and red bedspreads.
But since college boys do things like flood entire floors for fun and girls are notorious for never cleaning, it makes sense to give them the minimum. It didn’t matter, we had fun anyway, probably too much fun.
It’s been too many years, and yet, when I make Mrs. Spratt’s cookies for holidays or any other time, I fondly remember my college days (most of them anyway). These sweets are called Seven Layer Cookies because they actually consist of seven layers (or possibly because they add seven layers to your waist).
Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk used to have the Magic Cookie Bar recipe inside its label, but that recipe didn’t call for butterscotch chips, which I think, makes them fabulous.
I call them heaven, especially if you eat them when they’re still warm. If you’re a peanut fan, you could substitute Peanut Butter Chips for the Butterscotch and use peanuts instead of walnuts.
This is a recipe worth revisiting because these cookies are fantastic. The buttery, slightly salty layer on the bottom holds the sweet top ingredients and the nuts give them a nice crunch. I just made them and was tempted to eat five but forced myself to stop at two.
They’re really easy and through the years, the only tweak I’ve made is to sprinkle a little salt on top when they’re done, so they’re the perfect combination of sweet and salty. Thank you Mrs. Spratt!
Mrs. Spratt’s Seven Layer Cookies
[cooked-recipe id=”20512″]
20 Comments
Victoria
December 26, 2020 at 6:49 pmGood heavens. Over the holidays I visited my parents and, as we drove on I-80, at the big old CSC (oops, CUP, now) sign, snow pelting the windshield, I remembered my freshman winter in Forest Manor (north? south??). That same kind of grey, hazy, wind-driven snowfall, seen from my 4th floor window, would always cause me to think twice about the half-mile hike (past the Owens-Illinois truck parking area) to my morning classes. Or afternoon classes. Didn’t stop us from attending the frat parties in the evenings, though. Lucky to still be alive. 😜
So I *googled* Forest Manor, to see if it still existed, and found your blog post. My search sounds silly now, there’s no way that FM would still be a dorm. Kids these days wouldn’t stand for it! They need suites, or “pods”… laundry on the same floor, private bathrooms, yadda yadda yadda. Spoiled, they are!
And when I arrived at my parents’ house, 45 minutes from Clarion, what was on the cookie tray but those 7-layer bars!
Thanks for the memories, Fran!
Fran Tunno
December 28, 2020 at 12:26 pmVictoria!!! So happy to read your comment. I truly could not have gotten through freshman year at Clarion without Seven Layer Cookies. They are a cherished family favorite now. I make them every Christmas and for special birthdays. I mentally thank my roommate Margaret and her mom repeatedly for always making and sending them.
I think the girls were north and the boys were south. I still have letters from my mom from those years, so I will check that to make sure I’m right.
As for Forest Manor, I did the same research and saw they do not house students there anymore. Too bad, it built character tromping down to the laundry room. Once my friend came home with a load of wet clothes she had to dry and her mom had also packed her a meatloaf to enjoy. As soon as she got to the dorm, she dropped the clothes in the dryer and ran upstairs to enjoy the meatloaf. It was nowhere to be found. So we ran downstairs and the aroma of meatloaf was everywhere. Yep, it ended up getting tossed in with the laundry in the dryer. It was so funny but such a bummer! If you’ve never cleaned meatloaf out of a dryer, you’ll have to try it. It’s quite challenging. It gets everywhere.
Forest Manor was a bracing hike in the winter, and a good excuse to skip class as often as possible. But having us all together there united us as freshmen and that was a good thing. Thanks so much for stopping by and reading for a moment! It’s always nice to meet a fellow alumnus!
KirstenX
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Fran Tunno
December 28, 2020 at 12:26 pmI’ll check it out.
nycstylecannoli
April 3, 2015 at 5:46 amThese look awesome for sure I wish I had some family to share my baking with as can only bring into the office to share nowdays I think these would go over very well
Fran Tunno
April 3, 2015 at 1:54 pmMy Dear Rosemary, I think I must adopt you. Please come to Los Angeles one of these days so we can meet and get the process underway!
lafriday
March 28, 2015 at 11:07 amThese sound divine, Fran. And I LOVE the butterscotch chip addition. Mostly, I love the food/friend/memory connections and that those friends are here in the comments. Important question: sweetened or unsweetened coconut?
Fran Tunno
March 28, 2015 at 6:40 pmMy Dear Linda, sweetened, of course. I usually use Baker’s. This is not a dessert for a diabetic. xo
Leslie
March 26, 2015 at 12:36 pmMagic Cookie Bars… one of life’s great pleasures (I’m not a fan of butterscotch, so forgive me for not embracing that game-changing facet) and one of those tidbits sure to always trigger Pavlov’s Dogs’ response.
But even better than that, you captured my interest and made me go looking on YouTube for the Price Is Right clip… what an amusing bit of entertainment that was! It was extremely generous of you to move to California for the sole purpose of enabling your mother to meet Bob Barker! That was quite extraordinary and I’m sure that’s the best relocation story ever! Surely you have a trophy on your mantle for being the best daughter in the universe! And your mother won the big TPIR prize! I’m betting that diningroom furniture was the crown jewel of the household for many years, perhaps with your name engraved on a brass plaque on one of the chair backs?
Your mother certainly was a big personality and I can see why you have so many colorful memories of her. I’m sure you miss her a lot.
As always, thanks for enlivening my day with your blog post! I always enjoy your musings on life!
Fran Tunno
March 26, 2015 at 11:35 pmOh Leslie, you crack me up. OK, for you, make the 7 layers with peanut butter chips instead of butterscotch (and trade the walnuts for peanuts) – yum, that might be really good! Thanks for checking out the Price is Right. My mom would be thrilled. Yeah, it was never dull with her around. She kept all the stuff from the show and after she passed away, my dad wouldn’t get rid of it. Like I said, even death does not weaken a finely honed revenge gene, so he wasn’t taking any chances.
Chas Madonio
March 25, 2015 at 11:17 amYour brother is cruel.
Fran Tunno
March 25, 2015 at 8:43 pmYes, he is Chas, it was like being raised with wolverines, but look at how tough I am now.
Bernie Tunno
March 24, 2015 at 8:19 pmGood article you little piglet
Fran Tunno
March 25, 2015 at 8:44 pmThank you, my loving brother.
Margaret Spratt Eichenlaub
March 24, 2015 at 4:59 pmThis is so funny! I am down at my daughter’s home in Savannah for two weeks helping her with my new twin grandsons, Andrew and Lucas. I haven’t seen The Price is Right for years and it was on today. I said to Gretchen, “Remember me telling you about my freshman room mate Frannie’s mother being on TPIR, well she has a blog now, etc. etc.”. Then I see your blog! I will tell my mom about this, she will be thrilled! Looking at the picture, I realized that I was the slob of 355! Thanks for the great memories – keep it up girl! XXOO
Fran Tunno
March 24, 2015 at 5:18 pmThanks Margaret! Enjoy those grandkids (I can’t believe you have grandkids!) Joni reminded me your mom had a recipe for peanut butter bars, which I will have to get a hold of, if she’ll give it to me. My addiction to peanut butter is serious. Give your mom my best! (If you ever want to see my mom’s 15 minutes of fame, she’s on Youtube on the Price is Right.) It’s pretty funny. As for slobbiness, I don’t think you were any worse than me!
Mary
March 24, 2015 at 12:00 pmI remember visiting you Dawn & Carolyn too Fran. Fun memories & the cookies are awesome!
Fran Tunno
March 24, 2015 at 5:20 pmThanks Mary, yes the cookies make life worth living.
Fran Tunno
March 24, 2015 at 9:47 amThanks Della, I remember it all like it was yesterday, including you in the hallway, drying your beautiful hair, the air filled with the perfume of your shampoo. Was it Wella Balsam? No, wait, it was Revlon Flex!
Della
March 24, 2015 at 9:15 amI remember those days long ago fondly. We walked a long way to campus, but all of us together helped us to forge lifelong friendships! I do recall your waist line as a tiny one able to handle those seven layers😍