The Great Indoors: Symphony Rocks concert inspires delicious bars

If I can go to a symphony concert with even the slightest possibility of a little Steven Tyler getting thrown into the mix, you can count me in.

The Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra once again joins forces tonight with the always-incredible Post Traumatic Funk Syndrome for the third annual Symphony Rocks. The fundraising concert at the Bluestem Center for Arts in Moorhead will also feature the Irish pub band Poitin.

In addition to more traditional orchestral pieces, concert goers will also hear hits from Chicago, Bruno Mars, Paul Simon and, yes, Aerosmith.

To mark such a fabulous concert I wanted to make something that celebrated the parties involved for this week's online episode of "The Great Indoors." The easiest way to do that was to break out the Symphony bars. Cue the orchestra.

The chocolate bar with almonds and toffee chips is like a miniature sonata in your mouth. Each element is very different but works so well together. The smooth and sweet chocolate is broken up with the crunch of the almonds and toffee, like a violin interrupted yet working in harmony with the trumpet. OK, and it just tastes really good.

The Rockin' Symphony Bars are a variation on the traditional 7-layer bar or the Hello Dolly bars (which, if you follow my way of thinking are made to celebrate musical theater). The main difference is using cashews instead of pecans, incorporating vanilla wafers and graham crackers in the crust and using Symphony bars instead of chocolate chips.

Rockin' Symphony bars are very rich, so you'll want to cut them into small pieces. You might even need a glass of milk to wash it down. I'm sure even Steven Tyler would approve.

Rockin' Symphony Bars

1½ cups finely ground graham crackers

1½ cups finely ground vanilla wafers

¼ cup sugar

¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted

1 cup cashew pieces

1½ cups chopped Symphony bars with almonds and toffee chips

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

1½ cups sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Lightly splash a 15-by-10-inch rimmed baking sheet evenly with water, then line with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir together graham cracker and vanilla wafer crumbs, sugar and butter until combined. Evenly press onto bottom and up sides of prepared baking sheet. Bake, rotating halfway through, until firm, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; cool, about 20 minutes.

Sprinkle cooled crust evenly with cashews and Symphony pieces. Pour condensed milk over the top, spreading to cover completely (do not let it drip over the edges). Sprinkle with coconut.

Bake until coconut is toasted, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool completely. Trim edges, if desired, and cut into equal-size bars.

Watch 'The Great Indoors' with Tracy Briggs every Thursday on www.InforumTV.com