An occasional treat
We don’t believe that you need to treat yourself with food, especially with something like dessert. However, there are times when you have to have a dessert – so you need one you can feel pretty good about. With our family focus this week, Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars seemed like the perfect dessert to share.
Just don’t eat them all.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Yellow * serves 12 (or more)
1 cup Earth Balance margarine (that’s half a tub), plus some for the baking dish (note – don’t use the whipped one, it has too much water for baking)
1 cup Sucanat®
3/4 cup maple sugar or date sugar
2 extra large cage-free eggs
1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups (or 1 package) non-dairy chocolate chips (Tropical Source or Sunspire)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a 9×13-baking pan. In a bowl combine the Earth Balance and both sweeteners. Beat with a hand mixer until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth. Do not overbeat. Stir in the dry ingredients and mix well, then with a wooden spoon, stir in the chips. Spoon the cookie dough into the baking dish and spread it evenly in the pan, to the edges. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden on top. Let cool for 30 minutes. Cut into bars.
