Cookie bars

All the cookie bar recipes, scaled to a 8x8” pan

Chocolate Chip

• 5.5 Tbsp butter
• 1 rounded cup of light or dark brown sugar (227g)
• 0.5 tsp table salt
• 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, with a little bit of whites taken out (should be 1.5 eggs)
• 1.25 tsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp coffee powder, optional
• 1.25 cup + 2 Tbsp, all-purpose flour (165g)
• 1.5 cups chocolate chips, nuts, or other baking bits

Melt butter, stir in sugar, allow to cool a bit. Work in eggs, salt, vanilla extract, baking powder, coffee powder if using. Stir in flour until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips.

Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes. They’ll still look a little raw, but will set perfectly when cooled. Do not overcook.

Gingerbread

• 1.25 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 0.5 tsp cloves
• 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
• 0.5 tsp baking powder
• pinch or two of table salt
• 6 Tbsp of unsalted butter, melted
• 6 Tbsp of molasses
• 0.5 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 egg at room temperature

Frosting is 4 Tbsp melted butter, 1 cup or so of confectioner’s sugar, and maybe a little vanilla if you’d like.

Whisk together dry ingredients. Mix all liquid ingredients together with dark brown sugar until emulsified. Stir together well. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool, then frost and serve.