Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

This cookie is from David Lebovitz , one of my favorite blogs.  Such a great writer.  And delicious recipes.

Using good milk chocolate is really essential for this cookie.  David uses Guittard milk chocolate wafers but I would have to send away for those, not really my favorite thing to do.  So I perused my Shoprite candy bar section and found out that Lindt Milk Chocolate has the requisite 30% plus cocoa solids.  A little more expensive but I think worth it and readily available.  Each Lindt bar is 125 grams.  So you will need 3 bars to get the required 255 grams.  I have no problem with this because I happen to love their chocolate and am happy to have leftover.  But it’s such a little bit more that you need from that 3rd bar that I think you could certainly just use 2 bars and you would be just as happy with the results.  Cut the bars into chunks using the lines that are already on the bar.

I also substituted sweetened coconut for the unsweetened.  I may try the unsweetened next time.  Probably in the organic section of the supermarket.  But I was pleased with the results from the sweetened.

When measuring out the ingredients I did use the gram option.  If you don’t have a scale, this is not possible and the alternative is listed.  But I liked it.  Especially for some of the ingredients like  cranberries and coconut, which I think are not as accurate using measuring cups.

I think my 9 x 13 pan may be a little too big (certainly old and not in very good condition, either.  Maybe time for a new one.) because my cookies were a bit skinnier than Davids.

Baking time:  20-23 minutes if you like them soft, 25-30 minutes for a bit more crispiness, depending on how you like them.

For some reason my link to David’s recipe did not work out well.  As you can see, it’s in http form.  But it’s important that you read his because there are things you might want to change about the ingredients to suit your taste and also because he’s so damn interesting :).

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2016/01/chewy-chocolate-chip-cookie-bars-recipe/

4 ounces butter, softened

1-1/3 cups flour (160 grams)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup packed dark brown sugar (200 grams)

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons milk, whole or any percentage

3/4 cup dried cranberries (90 grams) David also suggests dried sour cherries

1 cup shredded sweetened coconut (90 grams) or unsweetened

3/4 cup old fashioned oats, like Quaker (60 grams)

1-1/2 cups (255 grams) Lindt Milk Chocolate (31% cocoa solids)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with Pam Baking Spray.

Place flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt in a small bowl and mix with a wire whisk.  Place egg and vanilla in a small bowl.  Measure out all other ingredients and set aside.  Cut chocolate into small rectangles and place in medium bowl.  Place butter in mixing bowl and start beating, either with a hand mixer or stand mixer.

While beating butter, add brown sugar and mix until soft, about 1 minute.  Add egg/vanilla mixture and beat until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add milk and beat for another 30 seconds.  There is not alot of batter here, so stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is mixed in.  The batter will definitely appear curdled after adding the milk but not to worry, all will be well once the other ingredients are added.  Gradually add flour mixture and the rest of the ingredients: cranberries, coconut, oats and chocolate.  Mix until just combined.

Place batter into prepared pan and push and smooth batter until spread evenly.  Be patient.  If you happen to have an off set spatula, this is very helpful.  If not just keep on pushing and spreading batter into pan until even.

Place in oven and bake for 20 to 23 minutes, if you like them soft, 25 to 30 minutes if you like them more crispy.  At 23 minutes the edge will pull away from the sides and be slightly more brown.  The center will be soft but done.  Baking them longer will make the center a bit more firm.

Remove from oven and let cool completely.  Cut into squares.  I used a pizza cutter to cut them into bars for the first time.  Saw this on an Alton Brown brownie episode.  The pizza cutter couldn’t go right to the edge of the pan, so I needed to cut it there with a sharp knife.  But otherwise, it was pretty cool.  I would do it that way again.

prepare pan:

Lindt Chocolate and cut up:

mis en place:

finished batter:

batter spread into pan:

out of the oven and cooling:

when completely cool, cut into bars: