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Hungry Girl Por Vida

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

February 21, 2012 by Leave a Comment

These cookie bars are after my heart.

They are everything I crave and love about a chocolate chip cookie–all crisp edges, chewy middles, toffee-like butteryness, dark chocolate, and crunchy nuts–except, there’s none of that portioning/scooping business. This means that these go from oven to mouth in a little less time with a bit less hassle.

Cookie Heaven.

When I spied this recipe on Not Without Salt, I needed it in my life with a quickness. I made them the same day, with what I had on hand–sharing them with neighbors and Sean’s co-workers–then, made them again 2 days later with a few adaptations of my own.

It’s not often that I make the same recipe twice in a month, let alone in a week. This is a recipe for the recipe box. It deserves a handwritten card and coveted space among the favorites…the ones you go back to over and over again, endlessly adaptable, always familiar.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Adapted from Not Without Salt

I used black salt for sprinkling over the top. It was a purely aesthetic decision and I had some on hand in my salt hoard–a gift from my brother-in-law–you can use any sea salt you have or like. I think smoked salt would be a nice as well. Also, I would encourage switching up the mix-ins if you like…different or no nuts, peanut butter or butterscotch chips, toffee bits, etc. 

1 stick (4 ounces), plus 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, browned

4 ounces (1/2 bar) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup granualted sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1/4 teaspoon sea salt for sprinkling

12 ounces dark chocolate chips, or chopped chocolate

5 ounces nuts–I used walnuts–toasted and cooled

Grease a 9×13 pan, line with parchment and grease again. Preheat oven to 350F.

Toast nuts on a sheet pan for about 5-10 minutes, being careful not to burn. Remove from oven and cool.

Brown the butter in a skillet over medium low, until milk solids are brown and fragrant like toffee. Remove from heat and scrape into the bowl of a mixer, allow to cool slightly while you gather your ingredients.

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a seperate bowl, toss together chocolate and nuts and set aside.

Add sugar and cream cheese to the browned butter in the mixing bowl and cream for 5-7 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl and add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping the bowl. Mix in vanilla.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix to just combine, allowing a few streaks of flour to remain, it will be incorporated when you fold in the mix-ins. Fold in the nuts and chocolate by hand so as not to overmix.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan–I used clean and oiled fingertips–and bake in the center of the oven for 30-40 minutes until the edges are deeply golden and the center is just set. Remove from oven and cool in the pan.

 

 

More from my site

  • Oatmeal Cherry Cookies w/ Chocolate  Chips + WalnutsOatmeal Cherry Cookies w/ Chocolate Chips + Walnuts
  • Recipe: Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip CookiesRecipe: Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Dulcey Brownie CookiesDulcey Brownie Cookies
  • Baileys Chocolate CookiesBaileys Chocolate Cookies
  • Nutty Brown Butter Chocolate Chip CookiesNutty Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Peanut Butter Pretzel Chocolate Chip CookiesPeanut Butter Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Filed Under: bars Tagged With: baking, bars, brown sugar, browned butter, chocolate chip, cookie, cookie bars, walnut

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Megan

    February 21, 2012 at 6:29 am

    I want to gobble these up. I just really want to!

    Reply
    • cindy

      February 21, 2012 at 7:20 am

      you should just make these and do exactly that!

      Reply
      • Megan

        December 14, 2013 at 12:42 pm

        FINALLY making these RIGHT now. So excited! So many brown butter freckles!

        Reply
        • cindy

          December 14, 2013 at 12:56 pm

          HAIL YEAH!

          Reply
  2. Terris-FreeEats

    February 21, 2012 at 3:06 pm

    Oh yes. Whenever someone uses “toffee-like” as a descriptor for chocolate chip cookies, I’m sold. Loving that cookie Jenga tower in the first photo. 🙂

    Reply
    • cindy

      February 21, 2012 at 3:53 pm

      Ha, thanks Terris! I keep calling it “cookie-tetris” 🙂

      Reply
  3. Robyn

    February 21, 2012 at 3:22 pm

    i love chocolate chip everything! and i’m intrigued by the addition of cream cheese. yum!

    Reply
    • cindy

      February 21, 2012 at 3:57 pm

      yes! the cream cheese just brings a little tang and softness to the bars 🙂

      Reply
  4. Liv B

    February 21, 2012 at 4:13 pm

    Ohmyfoodness these look SO delicious. Perfectly moist with the right bits of crunch! I think I’ll be making these TODAY!

    Reply
    • cindy

      February 21, 2012 at 6:27 pm

      yay! I hope you do!

      Reply
  5. lynn @ the actor's diet

    February 21, 2012 at 6:50 pm

    THOSE LOOK EPIC!!!

    Reply
    • cindy

      February 21, 2012 at 6:57 pm

      yes! thanks Lynn!

      Reply
  6. NerdyBaker

    February 22, 2012 at 12:50 pm

    These look lovely! I tried a Chocolate Chip Cookie bar awhile back and it was a complete failure. I am looking forward to trying this and I am sure my kids are too!

    Reply
    • cindy

      February 22, 2012 at 1:40 pm

      thank you! I love these and hope you will too 🙂

      Reply
  7. NicoleD

    February 22, 2012 at 1:57 pm

    Yum! How neighborly of you to share such deliciousness 🙂

    Reply
    • cindy

      February 22, 2012 at 5:20 pm

      Ha, thanks Nicole!

      Reply
  8. Erica

    February 23, 2012 at 10:37 am

    I saw these a few months back on Not Without Salt, and thought they looked absolutely amazing. Now that I see them here, I think it’s a sign that I HAVE to make them too. I like the touch of black salt on yours (although at first glance, I thought they were black sesame)! I think I might add Maldon sea salt when I make them!

    Reply
    • cindy

      February 23, 2012 at 1:07 pm

      maldon would be great!

      Reply
  9. Russell at Chasing Delicious

    February 23, 2012 at 1:19 pm

    I could definitely go for a few of these right now! They sound scrumptious.

    Reply
    • cindy

      February 23, 2012 at 1:23 pm

      yes! Thanks Russell!

      Reply
  10. Mel

    February 26, 2012 at 6:58 am

    I tried these and it failed miserably– I think your instructions should reduce the ‘mixing’ time for the wet mixture of cream cheese, butter and sugar. My ‘bars’ turned out so cakey! I followed every ingredient to measure, what else could have gone wrong? Will try again with another recipe.

    Reply
    • cindy

      February 26, 2012 at 7:02 am

      I’m sorry to hear that the recipe failed for you. I hope you have luck with your next try.

      Reply
      • cindy

        February 27, 2012 at 8:24 am

        is it possible the batter was over-mixed after incorporating the flour, or perhaps you could bake them a bit less, just until the center is set, not firm? I hope this helps 🙂

        Reply
  11. Jenny (VintageSugarcube)

    March 5, 2012 at 6:22 pm

    I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; your pics knock my socks off. Those bars with the black salt? TO DIE FOR!!

    Reply
    • cindy

      March 5, 2012 at 6:24 pm

      yes! Thank you Jenny!

      Reply
  12. Kate

    March 11, 2012 at 5:25 pm

    Is the sugar amount supposed to be 1 1/4 cup (not just 1/4)? I made these tonight and they didn’t come out quite right, and I’m wondering if maybe it was the lack of sugar.

    Reply
    • cindy

      March 11, 2012 at 6:08 pm

      The sugar amount is 1/4 cup granulated and right underneath that there is also 3/4 cup of brown sugar. Sorry the bars didn’t work out for you!

      Reply
  13. Kate

    March 12, 2012 at 5:38 am

    Ah, that’s why- I missed the brown sugar. Silly me. Will try again!

    Reply
    • cindy

      March 12, 2012 at 5:41 am

      aw, okay…I hope it works out this time around 🙂

      Reply
  14. Lollie Lopez

    December 5, 2013 at 6:08 am

    I need to be honest.. I just found your amazing blog.. and I am baking challenged. I thought I would give this a try.. and if they didn’t come out right I would blame my ill baking skills..

    these are AMAZING.. they came out perfectly!!! I am eating one as I type..

    If I can make these.. ANYONE can! I don’t own a mixer… and may have messed up the vanilla and salt ratios.. but they turned out so good I may never eat cookies again. (:

    Thank you for inspiring me to take on a new challenge.

    Reply
    • cindy

      December 5, 2013 at 6:23 am

      Excellent! I am so glad they worked out for you 🙂 Thanks for the great comment!

      Reply
  15. Lauren

    March 11, 2014 at 1:45 pm

    These are delicious! I made these for my husband, the pureist, and he was admittably not excited… until he tried one! Now he doesn’t even want regular chocolate chip cookies anymore, just these!!

    Reply
    • cindy

      March 11, 2014 at 2:11 pm

      awesome! I’m so happy to hear it 🙂

      Reply

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