Cookie Bars

I don’t know about you but life feels extremely hectic lately and I no longer have the time to bake leisurely or for pleasure. Instead, I find myself baking for potlucks, family gatherings, etc. under time constraints – basically pulling something out of the oven and jumping into the car so as not to be late to the event. A recipe I have been falling back on repeatedly of late is for the humble and easy but incredibly scrumptious cookie bar. These cookie bars are made from basic kitchen staples and you can alter them in numerous ways by what you choose for mix-ins. For the batch I made in the pictures below, I divided the dough in half and added 1 cup of chocolate chips to one half and 1 cup of butterscotch chips to the other half, then pressed each half into opposing sides of the pan before baking.

So, if you’re searching for a quick and inexpensive dessert to make for your next party, reunion, BBQ, etc., look no further than these delicious cookie bars!

Ingredients:

2 ¼ cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened*

¾ cup sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 cups chocolate chips (I prefer mini chocolate chips), butterscotch chips, m&ms, etc.

* Do not throw the wrapper around the butter sticks away. Instead, use the small amount of butter clinging to the wrapper to butter a 9 by 13 inch pan; set aside. Now you can throw the wrappers away. ;)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until the mixture looks light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and then on low speed add the vanilla and eggs. Scrape down the bowl again and then slowly add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and with a spatula or wooden spoon, stir in the mix-ins. Press the batter into the buttered pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the center is set. Let the pan cool for 15 minutes, then cut into bars/squares and serve.

The cookie bars will keep for up to 5 days in a tightly sealed container at room temperature.