Bars. The most frequent-ed recipes on my blog are recipes for bars. I recently realized I’ve never shared one of my most coveted, tested bar recipes.
Silly.
I should have shared this with you long ago.
These bars are very basic, and I’m sure you’ve had something like them a million times. However, there are a few little changes to that old standard chocolate chip bar recipe that make a tasty difference. (*see the notes section in the recipe for details.) The extra sprinkling of sea salt on top of the bars prior to baking adds the perfect touch of salt, if you like sweet and salty desserts.
This week is World Pork Expo and when there are pig shows…
softball games, or anything else for that matter: we bake bars. Less laborious than cookies, bars always win when it comes time to bring treats or haul a dessert to a picnic.
I hope you find yourself in what you consider a ‘happy place’ this weekend.
And for a little chuckle…
Sea Salt & Chocolate Picnic Bars
Ingredients
For the Bars
- 1 cup Butter at room temperature (2 sticks)
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp french grey sea salt or 1/2 tsp table salt
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1/2-2/3 bag (12 oz.) miniature chocolate chips use more chocolate chips if you desire
For the Sea Salt Sprinkle
- 1 tsp french grey sea salt (fleur de sel) or other flaky mild sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, cream butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and mix until combined. In a large mixing bowl, combine salt, soda and flour. Pour into wet ingredients. Mix slowly until combined. Don't overmix. Add chocolate chips, mix only until combined. Spread batter into greased 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle sea salt evenly over tops of bars. Bake bars in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 32-35 minutes until golden brown. Remove, let cool. Cut and serve. Makes 24 bars.
Notes
2. Swap the salt in the recipe for French gray sea salt, and add a bit more. When swapping table salt for sea salt... up the ratio a bit. The table salt is more harsh, plus less sea salt fits in the measurement. Increase measure by 25% if using sea salt.
3. There is a touch more flour in this bar recipe than the standard recipe. I feel like the standard 'back-of-the-bag' chocolate chip cookie bar recipe is quite greasy. This eliminates that issue.
4. I sprinkle the tops of the unbaked bars with the same French gray sea salt. Need I say more? Sweet + SALTY? I'm all ears.
5. I bake these bars in a 9x13 pan, because that's what fits my LIFE, my KITCHEN and the thickness of the bars is perfect.
3 Comments
Loved the pics today and the recipe is printing out as I type this. Nothing like a little sea salt to make things tastier, right?? Thanks for sharing your special recipe!
LOL! We’ve all been there as a mom! I have ONE MORE to potty train. Sometimes I think that is worse than giving birth! And these bars. I’m a bar fanatic. They are so much easier than cookies and everyone loves them!
They look so good! Love the picture of little Buddy