Frigid Weather = Comfort Food (Dessert!)

.....and comfort food includes desserts and sweets too!

While most of the country is in a deep freeze, there may be some of you that are still enjoying a balmy 80 degrees. You'll want to turn your oven on for these too.

We all have made the chocolate chip cookie bars from the back of the chocolate chips at least a hundred times, right?

Well, I am tired of those. The last time I made them they were too thin and too crunchy.

I searched for a new recipe and the one that I found is so good that I made two batches, one after the other while the oven was hot. I need one batch for an event this weekend and I could not bear to bring them all and not have any for home!

My new favorite word to describe something really, really good is Ridiculous.

These chocolate chip cookie bars are RIDICULOUS.

Delicious Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Bars

(they had me with this title)

Ingredients

2 1/8 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

12 tablespoons butter ( 1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position. Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with foil, letting the excess hang over the edges of the pan by about 1 inch so you can grab those edges and pull the brownies from the pan after they have baked. Spray the foil lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix the flour, salt and baking soda together in a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk the melted butter and sugars in a large bowl until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined; do not over-mix. Fold in the chocolate chips and turn the batter into a prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula.

Bake until the top of the bars is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from the sides of the pan, 24-28 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Lift bars out of the pan with the foil edges and cut into squares.

TIPS:

I followed this recipe to a tee. I usually "cheat" and put everything into the electric mixer but I think the hand stirring is what keeps these so fluffy and light.

It took mine the full 28 minutes to be done.

A good baker has to test her goods. I trim the ends off to a straight edge and eat that slice of goodness. There are no calories in the ends.

Start your new year off with some comfort food and chocolate chips. You have the whole rest of the year to work the calories off!

AnnMarie xoxo

I am linking up with these blog parties:

Full Plate Thursday
Share Your Cup
Home Sweet Home
Dishing It & Digging It
Over The Moon