Chocolate chip cookie bars
I’ve been in a big cookie bar mood lately. They’re just so much easier than making cookies. No need to portion dough, bake, wait, and repeat it all over and over. You just throw all the dough into a pan and 15 minutes later you’re all set. In fact, growing up I almost preferred chocolate chip cookie bars over cookies.
These bars have a good amount of chocolate chips in them, which is awesome.
Chocolate Chip Bars – from My Baking Adventures, originally from Cookie Madness
8 oz regular salted butter (2 sticks) – I used unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup of brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional) – I added the salt
2 (12 oz) packages of semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped pecans (optional) – I omitted the pecans
Cream the butter and sugars, beat in the eggs and vanilla.. Combine the dry ingredients and blend in. Add chips and nuts. Spread in a greased 15x 10 inch baking pan. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
I too didn’t have a pan big enough for a water bath. I just cooked it for 1 hour and 30 minutes and then let it cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. I didn’t even cool it in the oven. I haven’t tasted it yet, so I don’t know if it turned out ok…but it looks just like my other that I made.
Hey if it tastes good who cares what it looks like?!
Regardless of how it looks, it’s the taste that matters! My cheesecakes look similar when I don’t do a water bath. Another idea with cheesecake is to make cheesecake truffles with leftovers (that is, if you even have any!) 🙂
If you get an answer to your cake running over problem would you mind sharing it? I had the same problem, despite the fact my pan met Dorie’s requirements. I’m also curious where I went wrong.
I’ve had similar problems, especially with the cracking, which I believe is from cooking too long. Once I started taking cheese cakes out based on time and not appearance the problem went away. I think a lot of cooking still takes place from the internal heat…just a theory…BTW, great marble effect on your cake!
Aawwww poor little cheesecake. To be honest I am not sure why your cheesecake fell but I know when I make cheesecake mine always bakes more evenly when I use a water bath also if the internal temperature reaches 160F (don’t quote me) it starts to make the cheesecake crack. Maybe next time don’t bake it as long? Either way taste is the most important IMO. 🙂
Clara @ iheartfood4thought