Chewy choccy cookie bars

Sometimes, all you need is a cookie to turn your day around. This one is packed with melty choc chips and a little sprinkle of salty magic for a sweet-salty hit. No fancy gear needed – just mix, bake and try not to eat the whole lot in one go!

Credit: HarperCollins / Alana Landsberry

• makes

  18

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 200 g butter, chopped
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2½ cups plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 250 g dark or milk chocolate chips
• 2 tsp salt flakes (optional)

Cooling time: 15 minutes

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 160°C fan-forced.
2. Melt your butter in a large microwave-safe bowl on LOW in 10-second bursts. Add both sugars and whisk until smooth and glossy. Crack in the eggs, then add the vanilla. Give it another good whisk to combine.
3. Now, add the flour and baking powder and stir until almost combined. Then, scatter over the choccy chips and stir until you’ve got a thick cookie dough party going on.
4. Line a 20cm x 30cm slice pan with baking paper, extending the paper 5cm over edges. Press your dough in smoothly and evenly. Sprinkle with salt flakes if you’re feeling fancy.
5. Bake the slab for 25 minutes or until it’s golden and smells like heaven. Let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes (if you can wait that long!), then slice into 18 chunky slabs. Eat warm with ice-cream or straight-up using your hands – no judgement here!

Recipe and image from No Stress Recipe Queen by Steph de Sousa (HarperCollins), photography by Alana Landsberry,

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.