Once a year, my grandparents would drive up from California and stay with us for a week. My grandma always made cookies to share once they arrived. I vividly remember, as a child, sitting down to lunch and having this large, rectangular, orange Tupperware container make its way around the table. In the variety of choices, these bars were always my favorite. Sandwiched between two layers of crust is a thick bed of chocolate. It’s soft, melty, and oh so sweet. Seriously, there’s nothing better.
Last year, my husband and I loaded up the kids and drove to California to visit my extended family. And my aunt made these cookies. And it was then that I realized how much I had missed them. And of course, I was instantly brought back to my parents’ dining room table with my grandparents, giggling over who-knows-what and asking for more (because one is never enough).
So, the title of these bars are ingenious, but it wasn’t until I made them that I realized, oh yeah, chocolate is in between. Haha. Anyway, they are made like many old-fashioned bar cookies are–mix a little ingredients together, then add a few more, pull out some for the top crust, and press the remaining in the pan for the bottom crust. This recipe uses two bowls, which makes my husband happy, because he’s the dishwasher in the family.
These delicious bars take little time to make and freeze well. You know, on the off chance you want to save some for later, which with these is really hard to do. (But I do like to have some tasty treats in the freezer to heat up for company when I’m short on time, or just want a small smackerel of something sweet.) They’re perfect for an afternoon snack or a light dinner dessert. Enjoy! xoxo
Chocolate In-Betweens
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 2 dozen 2-inch squares
1 c packed brown sugar
¾ c cold unsalted butter, cut in small cubes
½ t salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the cold butter and cut into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender (or two knives). The mixture should look like coarse meal.
Add the following:
1 ½ c flour
1 c quick oats
Blend until it’s crumbly, but not a ball. Press ⅔ of the mixture (about 2 ½ cups) into the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
For the chocolate mixture:
12 oz. semi-sweet (or dark) chocolate chips
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
Melt the condensed milk and the chips together in either a double boiler or the microwave. If you are microwaving, check every 30 seconds so as not to burn the chocolate. Use a rubber spatula to mix the chocolate and milk every time you check it. You want the chocolate to be a bit runny, so it spreads well.
Pour the melted chocolate over the crust, using a rubber spatula to bring the mixture to the edges of the pan. Sprinkle the remaining crust over the top of the chocolate.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly brown. Let cool on a cooling rack completely before cutting up and serving. Store in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.
Source: my grandma, courtesy of my aunts
1 Comment
[…] Chocolate In-Betweens […]