Championship chocolate chip bars

Championship Chocolate Chip Bars

We had a wonderful vacation at the beach!  We swam in the ocean, dug some big holes in the sand, got a little sunburned, and ate our weight in boardwalk fare.  Good times… good times.  The downside is that my Claudia came home sick and fought with a pretty high fever for a few days.  She’s slowly bouncing back, and is as cute and sassy as ever.

Her being sick kept us from attending a spaghetti dinner fundraiser for our local library, but it didn’t keep me from helping to fill the dessert table.  I sent these cookie bars over and hope they were a hit.  We got to nibble on the edges, which we found quite tasty, so I’m guessing they were gobbled up in short order.

And on that note, go visit your local library, then come home and bake these up to enjoy while you read your book!

“The richest person in the world – in fact all the riches in the world – couldn’t provide you with
anything like the endless, incredible loot available at your local library.”  ~Malcolm Forbes

Recipe:  Championship Chocolate Chip Bars

(from Hershey’s Kitchens)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup cold butter

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped nuts

Heat oven to 350°.  Stir together flour and brown sugar in a medium bowl; cut in cold butter until crumbly.  Stir in 1/2 c. chocolate chips; press mixture on bottom of an ungreased 13×9″ baking pan.  Bake 15 minutes.

Combine sweetened condensed milk, egg, and vanilla in a bowl.  Stir in remaining 1 1/2 c. chocolate chips and the chopped nuts.  Spread evenly over hot baked crust.  Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.  Cut into 24 bars.