9 Bar Cookie Recipes to Bake This Weekend
At Food52 we love a good cookie. What’s even better? When said cookie comes in the shape of a bar and takes half the time and effort — no scrambling to transfer hot cookies to a cooling rack, no messy portitioning of subsequent batches, no devastating cookie pangaea. It’s a one-and-done, no-fuss crowd-pleaser; the low-maintenance, reliable alternative to its more demanding, self-involved, singular counterparts.
A team player at heart, the bar cookie doesn’t allow for stragglers, or runts, or misfires. Ultimately, each bar is only as good as its batch. Moreover, bar cookies are fun to bite into — they’re soft and gooey, and on occasion surprise us with a pleasing crunch or hidden layer. They’re dense and easy to eat, easy to share. Plus, everyone has a favorite: the middles, the two-edged corner, the one-edged side. So we urge you: on your next baking bender, consider the bar. Here are 9 recipes to get you started.
Banana Coconut, Chocolate Chip Snack Cake by ATG117
Alice Medrich’s Best Cocoa Brownies by Genius Recipes
Rhubarb Curd Shortbread by Rivka
Fig Keplers by petitbleu
Lemon-Ricotta Bars by Kukla
Millionaire’s Shortbread by Merrill Stubbs
Sara’s “Granola Bars” by Merrill Stubbs
Hippie Crispy Treats by Alanna
Blondies — Gluten-Free and Completely Delicious by nishis
Blondies—Gluten-Free and Completely Delicious
6 tablespoons (2 sticks) butter, melted
2 cups light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup dark chocolate, cut into chunks
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted
Preheat oven to 350 and line a 9x13 pan with parchment. Make sure your eggs are out of the fridge/not-too-cold. Start by melting your butter (microwave is fine, but browning it on the stove is even better if that’s your thing). Let it sit off the heat to come to room temp while you do the following:
Prep your mix-ins: Chop up your chocolate; toast your hazelnuts by heating them in a skillet until fragrant (5 minutes or so).
Now mix your no-longer-hot butter and brown sugar vigorously with a whisk or spoon until evenly caramel-colored and smooth.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing them in thoroughly. Stir in vanilla.
Stir in both flours and the salt. I like to quickly blend the flours with eachother at the top of the bowl before mixing them in to the wet ingredients below. Overmixing isn’t too much of an issue, but there’s no reason to go overboard. Once combined, dump in the chocolate, cherries, and hazelnuts and fold in to the batter until evenly distributed.
Spread your thick batter evenly into your prepared pan, tapping it against the counter to get out any air bubbles. Now in to the oven for 30-40 minutes (depending on your desired gooeyness factor).
Remove from oven and cool in pan. I like to pop the pan in the fridge if I need to cut them neatly. Slice yourself a square and enjoy!
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This article originally appeared on Food52.com: 9 Bar Cookie Recipes