thecookieblogger.com

i’ve been baking for the crew down at seattle opera this summer – they’ve been working long hours on wagner’s ring cycle and all those long days inside a dark building can make folks grumpy. i figure some cookies can brighten their days a bit and let them know that they’re appreciated!

i’ve found that theatre crews love chocolate chips. any baked good that includes a chocolate chip is a total stagehand magnet! these bars are chock-full-of chocolate-chips, so i’m certain these will go over quite well!

bar cookies are especially easy for these dog days of summer – quick baking time and not too much work for the baker, leaving you with plenty of time to dig in your garden or lie on your local sandy beach or sit in the hammock and read a good book. i just finished reading the art of racing in the rain by garth stein and loved it. i highly recommend it, especially if you’re a dog lover!

chocolate chip bars
ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (for top crust)
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup + 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar (divided)
1/2 cup cold butter
2 eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups flaked sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon vaking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 tablespoons sparkling white sugar

instructions:
1. preheat oven to 375 degrees. grease bottom and sides of 13×9 pan.
2. in a medium bowl, combine 1 cup flour, the oats and 1/2 cup light brown sugar until well-combined. with a pastry blender, cut the butter into this dry mixture.
3. press this mixture into your prepared pan. bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack.
4. in your mixer bowl, beat eggs, vanilla and remaining brown sugar until completely combined.
5. add the coconut, walnuts, baking powder, salt and remaining flour to the egg mixture and mix until just combined. stir in the chocolate chips.
6. spread evenly over the cooled crust. sprinkle sparkling sugar over the top layer.
7. bake for 20 minutes until topping is golden brown. (sugar will not have melted during baking)
8. remove from oven, let cool slightly for about 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. remove bars to wire rack to cool completely.
enjoy!
yield: 32 bars