Welcome back to The Cookie Elf File … and to easy cookie recipes! About once a week, The Elf sends you cookie recipes, cookie trivia and simple baking tips to make baking cookies easy and fun for your family.

This week, I’ve boned up on milk chocolate trivia for National Milk Chocolate Day on July 28. You can too. Enjoy these fun facts and tips!

Get Bowled Over

Feature: Easy Milky Way Brownies to Celebrate National Milk Chocolate Day

Image: The Cookie Elf

Milky Way candy bars debuted in 1923, the brainchild of Mars, Incorporated food company founder Franklin C. Mars. Contrary to urban legend, the candy bar was not named for the galaxy but rather the Milky Way milkshake, a popular malted chocolate dessert. By 1930, Milky Way was the #1 selling candy bar in the world. Today, the bars account for $100 million in sales.

In the American version, the candy bar is made up of layers of chocolate nougat (a creamy, sweet filling) and caramel with a firm milk chocolate coating. European versions omit the caramel layer.

This recipe uses that same layered format. And it’s uber-simply simple when you use a brownie mix.

Prep time: 5 minutes for each layer
Bake and cooling time: 50 minutes plus cooling in between layers
Makes 16-25 brownies, depending on how you cut them

Get the full recipe for layered Milky Way Brownies … and check out our Brownies Pinterest board for more easy brownie recipes.

Cookie Baking Tip: Just Add Sugar

Image: The Cookie Elf

See more helpful cookie baking tips on The Elf’s Baking Tips Pinterest Board .

Fun Gadgets for Summer

Heat resistant oven mitts of all colors	Bowl scrapers by Rachael Ray, others	Best-selling kitchen gadget sets by Chefcoo and others

More Easy Cookie Recipes with Milk Chocolate

Happy baking,