Chocolate Chip Brownies

My mom used to bake these for us all the time. Definitely a family favorite. These are NOT just chocolate chip cookies in bar form. They are a different recipe altogether. You make the batter in a pan on the stove and there is a lot of brown sugar involved  The result is a gooey, chocolatey bar with a light, crunchy top.  Serious chocolatey goodness and SO EASY to make!  

Chocolate Chip Brownies

2 cups flour
1  tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 (12oz) pkg chocolate chips
1/2 -1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350-F Lightly grease a 13x9" pan (or spray with PAM for baking).  

In a medium size bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.   In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar and eggs.  Add dry ingredients slowly and mix until combined.  Add vanilla and walnuts.  Spread into the pan and sprinkle chocolate chips evenly on the top. Press them in slightly.  Bake 25 minutes or until lightly brown. Let cool and cut into squares. 

Happy Baking!

Black-Bottom Cookie Bars

This is a brand new recipe for me, and I just HAD to share it with you. I found it on the Bake or Break website. My family loved them so much, I made them twice in one week. And each time, they disappeared very quickly.

Rich and chocolatey, they really satisfy your sweet tooth. And they are SO SIMPLE to make. You might end up making two batches as well!

Black-Bottom Cookie Bars
Yield ~24 bars

1 cup unsalted butter (plus a little more for the baking dish)
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350-F. Lightly butter an 8-inch square pan. Line with parchment paper, leaving about a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Lightly butter parchment.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter on medium low temp. Remove from heat and whisk in brown and white sugars. Let cool two minutes then whisk in eggs and vanilla.  Stir in flour and salt.

Put 1/2 of the batter in another bowl. Add the cocoa powder and chocolate chips until combined.

Place chocolate batter in baking pan. Spread evenly and smooth top. Spread plain batter on top of chocolate batter. Smooth top.

Bake ~25 minutes, or until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Edges should not get too brown! Cool completely in pan. Using the parchment, lift from pan and remove paper. Cut into squares.

You could probably get pretty creative with these. Use white chocolate chips or peanut butter chips, add mini chips to the plain layer...whatever you want. However, I must say I will probably not mess with this recipe.  I loved them the way they are. Sometimes simpler is just better!

Happy Baking!

Toffee Bars

When I was working at UC Davis back in the 90's, one of my favorite things to do was take a break and walk over to the Coffee House to buy a latte and a sweet treat.  I would always keep my fingers crossed that it was a Toffee Bar day.  Ahhh...the delicious Toffee Bar-- soft and chewy with just the right amount of chocolate chips and walnuts. Sigh....

The Coffee House publishes a cookbook and I bought it just for this recipe. You won't believe how quick and easy these are to make! I bake these all the time for my kids, and it is often what I choose to bake when I need to take something to an event. You can cut them into any size squares you want, but when I bake them for my family, we like them large! Soooo good with a glass of milk.
 
Toffee Bars
Makes ~2 dozen

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350-F. Grease (or use PAM baking spray) a 9"x13" pan. Combine butter, brown sugar and vanilla. Beat well.  Stir in flour, chocolate chips and nuts. Spread the mixture into the pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.  Let cool, then cut into squares. Do not over-bake!

Happy Baking!

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