Yumyums

Here's a recipe that has become a firm favourite with the whole family:

CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS

(from: One Smart Cookie by Julie Van Rosendaal)

2 tbsp butter or margerine, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350F (180C)


• In a medium bowl, combine butter, brown sugar and vanilla. Add egg and stir until smooth.


• In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the egg mixture and stir until almost combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir just until blended.


• Spread the batter into an 8" x 8" (20cm x 20 cm) pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray (I've been using nonstick baking paper). Bake for 25-30 minutes, until just golden and the edges are starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. Do not overbake.


• Cool for a few minutes in the pan before cutting into bars.


• Makes 12 bars.

This is a really scrummy bar - a bit like a brownie, I think. It isn't a big mixture, but it doesn't need to be, it's quite rich and a little goes a long way (although I can eat several pieces no trouble!) It has endless variations, too: I've used white sugar instead of brown, substituted an equal amount of cocoa for some of the flour, added instant coffee powder, added raisins, used peanuts instead of chocolate chips (and I did think about using nuts AND chips), used raspberry essence instead vanilla, and used chocolate essence instead of vanilla. Whew! In fact, it wasn't until the 4th or 5th making that I used the whole, original ingredient list. It's really easy to make and if you use nonstick baking paper, the pan doesn't need cleaning, so washing up is quick and simple too.

Oh yeah - and the bowl lickings are scrum-diddly-umptious.