Chocolate Chip Bars with Molasses and Sea Salt

  Before we get to the deliciousness that's about to happen, may I draw your attention upwards to the new *Recipes* Tab? Yes, after *coughalmostfouryearscough*, I finally got around to organizing my recipes!!! They are broken down by category (appetizers, desserts, etc), and I'm hoping that this will make them much easier to find :) I'm still working on a way to format them to be printed, I'll keep you updated on how that's going. I'm also going to be going back through some of the older posts to edit them/embed text links/spiff up the photography, etc and generally make them look a little more professional, so keep an eye out for that :)

   ANYWAY!

   Working on these chocolate chip bars was an absolute delight for me, for several reasons; first, um HELLO, they are chocolate chip cookies in bar form. Second, growing up, my Mom usually made chocolate chips bars instead of chocolate chip cookies so this was an awesome trip down childhood memory lane :) And thirdly because the base recipe for these bars was a gift from one of my dearest friends, Jen;  it is her favorite cookie recipe from childhood, and recipe sharing with loved ones is always the very best :) I fiddled and tweaked a bit, cause that's just what I do, adding a bit more depth of flavor to the dough and suchlike, but the base recipe is essentially intact :)

  I know there are hundreds if not thousands of chocolate chip cookie recipes out there, each one with a slightly different spin or secret ingredient, and that's fine, I just happen to really enjoy this one. I brought this to a friend's house where a few of my girlfriends had gathered to watch an SU Basketball game, and they were a huge hit :) These go together in a snap. Less than an hour from now, these cookie bars could be on your table. GO!!!

Chocolate Chip Bars with Molasses and Sea Salt

-1 cup salted butter, softened (see Note)
-3/4 cup sugar
-3/4 cup brown sugar
-2 eggs
-1 tsp. vanilla
-1 tsp. molasses
-3 cups flour
-1 tsp. baking soda
-1 tsp. sea salt
-1 bag chocolate chips or chocolate chunks

*Note: Every foodie in the world is rolling their eyes at me for this, but I really, really prefer this recipe with SALTED butter, it gives the dough much more flavor. It does not make the dough taste salty, just well-rounded. Trust me on this.

- Preheat oven to 375 F.

-In a large mixing bowl or bowl of stand-mixer, beat together butter, sugars, eggs, molasses and vanilla. 

-In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add to sugar mixture, mixing until combined. Stir/fold in chocolate chips.

- Pour into greased or parchment paper-lined 9x13 inch baking pan and spread into pan evenly. (For the record, I am a total convert to lining my baking pans/sheets with parchment paper, there hasn't been a burned cookie bottom in our house for months. Parchment paper, where have you BEEN all my life?)

-Bake at 375 F for 18-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

-Enjoy with cold milk and your favorite people :) Love you Jen!!!

Love and Chocolate :)
Lynniebee