Chocolate Chip Bars: National Chocolate Chip Day

Today is National Chocolate Chip Day! What a reason to celebrate. I've posted lots of different recipes for Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Chip Macaroons, Chocolate Chip Pancakes and Chocolate Chip Biscotti, but I'm pretty sure I haven't posted a recipe for Chocolate Chip Bars. My favorite recipe is adapted from an original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip recipe for Chocolate Chip Pan Cookies. They're really bar cookies, and I guess it's just all about how the cookie crumbles....

Lots of options in this recipe, too. You can use nuts or not and the nuts you use can vary. You can also add dried cherries or dried blueberries. Whatever you decide, enjoy the day!

CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (original recipe called for 1 tsp/but I don't use as much salt)
1 cup sweet butter, softened (original recipe didn't discern sweet or salt, but I use sweet)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar (original recipe didn't stipulate dark or light)
1 teaspoon Madagascar vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan (a baking sheet with 1 inch deep sides)*.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chips and nuts. Spread into prepared pan.

BAKE for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Photo: Nestle's Tollhouse

Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cream Cheese Bars

Here's a chocolate chip bar recipe with cranberries and cream cheese.

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 cups flour
1-1/2 cups rolled oats
2 teaspoons orange peel, grated
1 12-oz. package semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup cranberries, dried (4 oz.)
1 package cream cheese (8 oz.)
1-1/4 cups sweetened condensed milk

1. Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl until creamy.
   
2. Stir in flour, oats, and orange peel until crumbly.
   
3. Stir in chocolate chips and cranberries.
   
4. Reserve 2 cups mixture. Press remaining mixture onto bottom of greased 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.
   
5. Beat cream cheese in small bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk.
   
6. Pour over hot crust, and then sprinkle with reserved oat mixture. Return to oven and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set.
   
7. Cool in pan on wire rack.

Makes about 3 dozen chocolate chip bars.

Chocolate Chip Bars - Two Recipes

Chocolate Chip Bar Recipe
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 oz. chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
   
2. Cream together sugar and butter. Beat in egg.
   
3. Stir in dry ingredients.
   
4. Mix in vanilla.
   
5. Fold in chocolate and nuts.
   
6. Spread in greased 15x10-inch pan (batter will be a thin layer).
   
7. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
   
8. Cool slightly, then cut into 48 chocolate chip bars.

Chocolate Chip Bars #21 stick butter1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs1 cup flaked coconut (optional)12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate morsels14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk1 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
   
2. Melt butter in oven in 13x9-inch baking pan. Remove from oven.
   
3. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over butter.
   
4. Sprinkle with coconut and chocolate morsels.
   
5. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over mixture.
   
6. Top with pecans; press down.
   
7. Bake for 22-27 minutes or until golden brown around edges.
   
8. Cool completely in pan on rack. Cut into chocolate chip bars.