Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Hi, everyone.

There really are no words to describe my feelings on the Boston Marathon bombings. The hatred that a person can feel, so strong that it’s a motivation to cause terror and deadly violence, is shocking. My heart and prayers go out to all who were affected.

If anyone would like to donate to help those affected, The One Fund has been established to aid those in Boston hurt by the bombings.

And now a piece of good news.

There is a tiny mammal sitting in my lap right this second. She’s gray, she purrs, and she will be a major cause of procrastination for the rest of the school year.

That’s right, I got a cat! Her name is Mia 🙂

I’ve wanted a cat for a few months now, and my friend Casey, who works at an animal hospital, told me about a six-month old kitten who was waiting to be rescued. Like any teenager would do, I cajoled my dad into taking me to see her. And I fell in love. Mia is actually the sweetest cat in the world. She’s curious and active, and loves to be pet and around people. I feels so great to have something, a little being, that depends on me and loves me. My hope is that she’ll motivate me to be my best person again and get back on track after the spot of trouble I’m having.

And now, what you’ve all been waiting for…

…the recipe.

I’ve made chocolate chip cookie bars before, no big deal. But this kind was new to me. It is actually a recipe from my aunt’s recipe box, which I perused on Good Friday after making traditional Italian Easter pies with my family. Unfortunately, I do not know where the original recipe came from. This is the card I found:

So the recipe is not mine, and I barely even adapted it, but I have nowhere to cite. I’m sorry, world.

These bars consist of a gooey, almost custard-like filling on top of a flaky crust.

The crust is just a simple combination of brown sugar and flour, then with butter cut in until crumbly. I set my stand mixer to the lowest setting and added butter in small pieces until the mixture was the texture of sand. Then add a quarter of the chocolate chips and press this into a pan to bake for fifteen minutes.

The filling is made of that glorious can of heaven that is sweetened condensed milk, plus an egg, vanilla, the rest of the chocolate chips, and nuts, if you wish. Spread this all over the crust and bake for another twenty to twenty five minutes, or until the top is light golden brown and firm.

Thanks, Aunt Geri, for the recipe!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line a 13×9 inch pan with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl or stand mixer, combine the flour and brown sugar. Cut in the butter until crumbly, almost like the texture of sand. Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips by hand. Press mixture into the pan and bake for 15 minutes.
3. In the same bowl, mix the sweetened condensed milk, egg, and vanilla. Stir in 1/2 cup nuts (if using) and 1 cup chocolate chips, then pour filling evenly on top of the baked crust. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips and nuts.
4. Bake 20-25 minutes until firm on top and lightly golden.
5. Cool completely before cutting into squares. Store covered at room temperature.

Conclusions:

Both the flavor and texture of these bars are different from your average chocolate chip cookie bar due to the two layers: crust and filling. I definitely liked it. As I mentioned before, these were featured at a bake sale at school, and I’m pretty sure they were gone before lunch. They’re perfect for bake sales, as they are simple enough for a teen to make on a school night but unique enough to cause interest. I always try to contribute something a little different than the average brownie or cupcake at bake sales, and chocolate chip cookie bars fit the bill. Of course, I left out the nuts in case of allergies, but I’m positive the crunch of nuts would add an extra dimension to this already yummy snack. A classic that’s fantastic 🙂

 

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