Chocolate Chip Dream Bars

This cookie recipe is one of my favorites.  Not only do I like how these bars taste, but I like how easy they are to put together.

I made this recipe last week to take on our annual beach trip, where they were such a hit on the first day, that I wasn't sure we'd have any left for the second day!  Unfortunately, as I was cutting these bars to pack for the trip, I forgot to take a picture of the final product.  The picture above doesn't convey how yummy these cookies are, I'm sorry.  I don't know where I found this recipe, as the original disappeared, but I had typed it up on the computer for a friend, so I still had a copy.

To make the crust, I put the softened butter (see my post for Chewy Chocolate Cookies for what to do if you forget to leave out your butter to soften) and brown sugar in a medium bowl.

I don't even get out my hand mixer for this, I just use my Pampered Chef rubber spatula to combine the two ingredients.

Using the spatula, I then work in the flour.

When fully incorporated, the mixture almost looks like moist sand.

This mixture gets pressed into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13-inch pan and baked for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, in a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, I combine the brown sugar, eggs and vanilla.

To this mixture I add the chocolate chips, stirring until combined.  I have to pay attention while doing this because I need to add all of the semi-sweet chocolate chips, but only 1 cup of the milk chocolate chips, as I need to save 3/4 cup of them for the top.  There was one time I wasn't paying attention and put all of the milk chocolate chips in at this step and the bars didn't come out quite right, plus I was afraid I wouldn't have enough for the top.

This mixture gets poured on top of the crust and it goes back into the oven.

Once out of the oven, it looks almost as if I've baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies in a baking pan.     This needs to cool completely before adding the topping.

For the topping, in a small saucepan I melt the remaining milk chocolate chips with the vegetable oil over low heat, stirring constantly. 

The chocolate mixture can then be drizzled on top of the bars (either before or after cutting them), or as I did in this case, spread in a thin layer on top of the bars before cutting them.  I chose to do it this way because it was faster and I didn't want any of the chocolate drizzles to get knocked off during the trip to the beach.  The drizzle looks best, so the next time I make these bars, I'll try to remember to take a picture and add it here.  No matter what they look like, they are scrumptious!  Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Dream Bars

  

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 eggs

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 bag (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)

1 ¾ cups milk chocolate chips (divided)

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Heat oven to 350^°F.  In medium bowl, mix ½ cup brown sugar and the butter.  Stir in 1 cup flour.  Press in ungreased 13x9-inch pan.  Bake 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl, mix eggs, 1 cup brown sugar and the vanilla. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour, the baking powder and salt.  Stir in semisweet chocolate chips and 1 cup of the milk chocolate chips.  Spread over hot crust.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool completely in pan on wire rack, about 30 minutes.

In 1-quart saucepan, heat remaining ¾ cup milk chocolate chips and the oil over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted; drizzle glaze over bars.  Refrigerate at least 1 hour until firm.  Cut into bars and store at room temperature.