In honor of Chocolate Chip Cookies

These bar cookies have a butterscotch flavor,
good for St. Patrick's Day. 

I read that this week is Chocolate Chip Cookie Week. Then I did some research and found that there are also two days, one on May and one in August, that are dedicated as Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. It really doesn't matter, every week is Chocolate Chip Cookie week at our house! Definitely a favorite, and we need little excuse to mix up a batch. 
But for this week I tried a new recipe. I've used the same recipe for drop chocolate chip cookies for years, it contains instant pudding mix which seems to add a good flavor and keep the cookies soft. And we like the oatmeal chewiness of that recipe. (See side bar for that). This version is a bar cookie, great for a quick mix and bake. This original recipe is from King Arthur flour, I reduced the amount of brown sugar and chocolate chips which does cut the calories a little bit. 

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Ingredients:

⅔ cup unsalted butter

2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs

2 ¼ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon espresso powder, optional

2 ¾ cups all purpose flour or white whole wheat flour (I use half all-purpose/half whole wheat)

1 cup chocolate chips (original recipe says 3 cups)

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a 9”x13” pan.

2.     Slightly soften butter and cream with brown sugar. Add salt, vanilla, and stir to combine.

3.     Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4.     Combine baking powder, espresso powder, and flour. Add to creamed  mixture and stir to combine.

5.     Add chocolate chips and stir in.

6.     Scoop batter into prepared pan, spreading it to the edges. It is very thick. Smooth the top with a moistened spatula.

7.     Bake the bars for 30-32 minutes, until they’ve risen and the top is shiny and golden. Let the bars cool completely before cutting and store in an airtight container.