Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Langkah-langkah

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper. Tuck it into the corners and fold the edges. Or, you can grease the glass pan with butter or nonstick spray.

3. In a small bowl, add 1 teaspoon baking soda and 2 teaspoons hot water. Stir it together and set aside to dissolve.

4. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat 1 cup softened* butter until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Remember to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl at least once.

5. Once your butter is creamy and smooth, add 1 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup packed brown sugar. Beat well until fluffy, another 2 minutes. Scrape the sides halfway through.

6. Add one egg. Beat well, scraping the sides.

7. Add the second egg and 2 teaspoons vanilla.

8. Add in the baking soda and hot water that you dissolved earlier. Beat all of this into the butter, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom, and then beating again for at least 1 minute.

9. Add 2 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour but don't stir yet. (Make sure you spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then level it off so that it's even. Do not overpack your flour.)

10. Add 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 teaspoon kosher salt (use less if you have table salt) into the flour

11. Turn the mixer on low and beat until there are still a couple streaks of white flour. You want to stop mixing when the flour is not quite all the way incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom and stir it again for a few turns.

12. Add 1 and 3/4 cups chocolate chips and mix until just barely combined. Don’t over mix, or you will get tough cookie bars! Scrape the sides and mix one last time.

13. Scrape the cookie dough into the prepared 9x13 inch pan.** Press the dough into the corners and make it flat all across the top.

14. Scatter another 1/2 cup chocolate chips on top of the flattened dough. Use your hands to press the chocolate chips into the dough a bit.

15. Bake at 325 degrees for 25-27 minutes. The cookie bars will be golden all the way across the top. When you shake the pan, the center should not be wobbly or jiggly in the center. (A gentle wobble that is even all the way across the bars is ok.) A toothpick inserted in the center will come out with chocolate on it, but should not have thin wet batter on it. It is VERY important to not over bake these bars!

16. Slice and eat! With a glass of milk!

17. Store leftovers right in the pan, just cover the top tightly with plastic wrap. They will be good on the counter for 4-5 days but will start to dry out over time.

18. Freeze bars by wrapping the cooled pan with a few layers of plastic wrap, and then a layer of foil. Or, place cut bars on a lined baking sheet, flash freeze for 30 minutes, then transfer to a freezer ziplock bag. Thaw frozen bars on the counter until soft.