Description
The secret to these chocolate chip cookie bars is their brown butter base! Studded with chocolate chunks, the cookie bars bake up soft and chewy inside with deliciously crispy edges. This easy dessert bar recipe is quick to make too - there's no need to chill the cookie dough. Simply press the cookie dough into an even layer in a prepared 8" non-stick baking pan, and into the oven they go!
Ingredients
- 150g unsalted butter, cold from the fridge is fine
- 100g light or dark brown sugar
- 60g granulated sugar
- 1 large (50g) egg
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 150g all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 3g (1 tsp) salt
- 220g dark chocolate, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c. Grease and line an 8" (20cm) non stick baking pan, leaving the parchment extending over the sides to form a sling. Secure with binder clips if desired.
- Place the butter in a medium saucepan, and place over medium heat. Cook until the butter has melted, and then continue to cook, swirling the pan often and stirring with a whisk, until the butter foams and turns golden brown and nutty - this should take 3-4 minutes.
- Weigh out 110g (see Notes section below) of the brown butter into a medium bowl and leave to cool for 15-20 minutes so that it does not scramble your eggs.
- Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the bowl with the brown butter, and mix to combine.
- Add the egg and whisk well for 1-2 minutes, or mix using an electric mixer, until the mixture has lightened in colour and has thickened.
- Add the vanilla and mix well.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix to combine with a rubber spatula until there are some flour streaks remaining - this is to ensure you do not over work the dough.
- Add the chocolate and mix to incorporate with a rubber spatula.
- Press the dough into the prepared pan, smoothing down with an offset spatula. Add a few extra chocolate chunks to the top of the cookie if desired.
- Bake the cookie bars for 20 to 22 minutes, until the top of the cookie is golden brown and set and the edges have started to firm up slightly. If you would like the edges of your cookie bar to be crispy, bake for a little longer.
- Remove the chocolate chip cookie bars from the oven and leave to cool in the pan on a wire rack. Remove from the pan using the parchment paper sling. Cut into pieces using a sharp knife.
- Store cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
You will notice that there are two quantities of butter in the recipe - the initial quantity of butter, then a second measurement in the method which is the quantity of brown butter. The larger initial quantity is to account for water loss when browning - read more about that in my FAQ.
You will notice that there are two quantities of butter in the recipe - the initial quantity of butter, then a second measurement in the method which is the quantity of brown butter. The larger initial quantity is to account for water loss when browning - read more about that in my FAQ.
If you are using the recipe scaling feature (2x or 3x) be aware that any quantities, measurements, pan sizes, and cooking times given in the method do not scale automatically - it's only the quantities in the Ingredient List that scale automatically.