After the Bike Race, Before the Candy Hunt

Here's a quick and easy treat to make for your next Block Party, and I can guarantee that they'll go fast.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate-Chip Cookie Bars

2 cups + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup (firmly packed) light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks

Heat oven to 325°. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position. Line 13x9x2 pan with foil, leaving a few inches hanging over each edge. (You will need two pieces—one to go horizontally and one to go vertically—and you may have to fold or cut them to fit.) Spray foil with nonstick spray.

Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside.

Whisk melted butter and both sugars in a large bowl until combined. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in chips and turn batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with spatula.

Bake until top is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from sides of pan, 27–30 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature. Remove bars from pan by lifting foil overhang and transfer to cutting board. Cut into 2" squares and serve.

Comments

[Elena]

These are really excellent! I just finished baking and packaging them for a bake sale at our big marching band show this afternoon & evening. They are way easier than chocolate chip cookies, plus I had all of the ingredients on hand. The chocolate chips stay nice and gooey--I had to put them in the fridge to firm up, but only because they'll be sitting outdoors for some time this afternoon. I had to forbid the rest of my family to eat any. I only offered the bits that I trimmed off the edges, but they're plenty tasty too.