Congo Bars

Do I know why these are called Congo Bars? I do not. But what I do know is that they’re an utterly irresistible thick and chewy bar loaded with two kinds of chocolate and plenty of brown sugar and butter flavor. Imagine if a blondie and a chocolate chip cookie had a baby and then you upped the chocolate a bit for good measure – you’d have these. They’re soft, they’re just gooey enough, and they’re an absolute classic.

These bars have staying power but they’re actually a vintage recipe. Congo Bars were common in church cookbooks and grandmas’ kitchens for decades and they taste every bit as good today. That’s generally a good sign that they’re perfect for things like bake sales and potlucks and parties, but I certainly don’t mind just having a tray sitting out on my own kitchen counter as an afternoon pick-me-up. (No one else in my family has complained about that either.)

Other pros? They’re easy to make. It’s a one-bowl batter where you simply cream together some butter and brown sugar before adding in eggs, vanilla, flour, etc, and then both milk chocolate chips and semi-sweet chocolate chunks. The two kinds of chocolate melt a bit differently and help ensure that you get a good hit of chocolate in every single bite but that it’s not just sweet, sweet, sweet.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups brown sugar, packed
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips

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PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper and grease with nonstick spray. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.
3. Add eggs, vanilla, salt, and baking powder and mix to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
4. Reduce mixer to low, then add flour. Mix until just combined.
5. Stir in chocolate chunks and chocolate chips.
6. Transfer dough to prepared pan and spread out with a rubber spatula. Bake until edges are set, about 30 minutes. Center will seem slightly underbaked and gooey.
7. Let cool in pan 5 minutes before removing and allowing to cool completely. Once cool, slice and serve. Enjoy!

Enjoy !