Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

 

Who doesn't love chocolate chip cookies?


But let's be honest here.  Do you love the time-consuming task of making individual cookies, babysitting them while they're baking, and then scrubbing the baking sheets?

Neither do I.

These bars are here to save the day.  They are easy to make.  And they freeze really well, so you could make a big batch and then pop them out of the freezer individually when you want to serve them (or when you need a little afternoon snacky-snack). 

You can also add a topping of melted chocolate.  YUM.  See the recipe below for that lil' trick.

Here's the printable recipe.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Makes 12-15 3x3-inch bars

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup canola oil (vegetable oil does NOT work)
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
2 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
6 ounces (additional) bittersweet chocolate chips (optional topping)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13" x 9" pan.

Place the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; whisk well to combine.

In a large bowl, beat the canola oil, sugar, and brown sugar. Break up any clumps of brown sugar with the spoon.  Mix in the egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips just until incorporated.

Place the dough in the pan and spread evenly.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges.  (Don't over-bake.  They get hard and crunchy and are much less wonderful to eat.)

If you want to have a chocolate coating (!!), remove the bars from the oven after 15 minutes*.  Scatter the 6 ounces of chocolate chips for the topping over the warm dough.  Return the pan to the oven for five additional minutes.  Remove the pan and spread the chocolate chips with a spatula.  

Allow bars to cool before cutting. (They are easier to cut once the chocolate has set.  But it's hard to wait, man!)

*Adjust the baking time to compensate for a larger or smaller baking pan. 
Recipe slightly adapted from The Keenan Cookbook and The Pajama Chef