Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Bars

I've owned Marcel Desaulniers' Death By Chocolate and Death By Chocolate Cookies books since they came out in 1992 and 1997 (I received them as gifts).  My family has loved every recipe I've tried from these books.  These "take it out the oven only once" bar cookies are simple enough for the cookie jar but add some chocolate ice cream and hot fudge and they are a fancy dessert in my book!  All alone they are to die for--Mr. Desaulniers hit it right on the head.  The texture, and the chocolate, whoa.  The original recipe called for just one cup of chocolate chips, but I always go heavy on those.  I know no other way.

Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Bars

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups tightly packed brown sugar (light or dark, whichever you have)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (if you only have salted butter, make them anyway!)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
one 12 ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Move a rack to the middle position before the oven gets hot.  I  usually forget!
Measure flour, salt and baking soda into a bowl, stir to combine and set aside.
In a large bowl combine brown sugar, granulated sugar and butter.  Cream butter and sugars together with your trusty hand mixer til smooth.  Add the eggs and vanilla and keep mixing til all ingredients are incorporated.
Add half the bowl of dry ingredients at a time and mix together til all is completely incorporated.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Butter a 9"x13"x2" baking pan, or spray it with cooking spray.  Or you could use a non stick pan like the book says.
Pour the cookie dough into the baking pan and spread it out evenly.
Place in the 325 degree oven on the middle rack and bake for about 40 minutes.  I usually start checking it at 30 and keep an eye out.  It should be evenly golden brown when done.
Let it cool for a bit before  you cut into it.  That will give you time to get something to drink so you can sit down and have teatime with one of these babies. yum.

A Sweet Beginning

To begin this new blog, I wanted to start with this bar cookie recipe. I found it in a magazine years ago, tore out the page and saved it in my recipe file, and there it stayed until a few months ago. I wish I had tried it sooner, as it is one of my favorites now. It originally called for shortening, but I use butter instead. I like to make bar cookies because I only have to time them and take them out of the oven once! Read over the whole recipe before beginning, and here goes…

Butter-Nut Chewies

1/2 cup of melted butter

2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup chopped nuts

Measure flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl and stir to combine. In a larger bowl, beat the eggs until they are about double in size (will only take a minute or so), and foamy. Add the brown sugar and vanilla and then the butter a little at a time. Beat until mixture is creamy. Add the flour mixture half at a time til incorporated. Stir in a cup to a cup and a half of your favorite nuts, or a mixture. I've tried it with cashews and almonds, and we like them both, but I prefer the almonds myself. Pecans, walnuts, whatever you have in the pantry would be good! Next time I may try adding a few raisins. The dough will be stiff. Pour the dough into a greased 13" x 9" x 2" baking pan and spread it out evenly. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. It should be golden brown. Let it cool a bit so it will be easier to cut into squares.

I have sewing, cooking, re-doing and other do it yourself projects lined up, so stay tuned!

See all the goodies at the link parties at http://www.everydaytastes.com/, and www.notjustahousewife.net!