The Perfect Gooey, Chewy, Chocolaty Treat – Congo Bars
Congo Bars are easy to make. You only need one saucepan, a large wooden spoon and a baking pan. The best part is… you can prepare, bake, and eat Congo bars in an hour! My Mother made Congo Bars so they’d just be coming out of the oven when we arrived home from school. How perfect can life get?
Pre-heat oven to 350F.
Use the paper from the stick of butter to grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan (glass or metal*)
1 stick butter
1 pound (box) dark brown sugar
3 eggs – room temp.
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
one-fourth teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips** (you can use more or less)
In a medium size saucepan melt butter over low heat so it doesn’t burn. Remove pan from heat, add sugar and stir until the butter absorbs the sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Measure dry ingredients and add them along with chocolate chips to the saucepan, mix well to combine wet and dry ingredients. Scoop batter into baking pan, even out with the back of your mixing spoon. Bake 25 minutes for gooey texture, 30 minutes for a cakelike texture. Cut into small squares as soon as the Congo Bars come out of the oven.
* A Pyrex baking dish needs to bake about 5 minutes longer than a metal pan. After you make the recipe a few times you’ll match the baking time and Congo Bar texture to your liking.
** Quality of chocolate makes a big difference; Valrhona, Scharffenberger, or callibout taste very different than Toll House chocolate chips. I like the taste of bittersweet 60% cacao best. You can make shards of chocolate from a bar. Use a sharp knife and cut the bar at quarter inch intervals. Pieces will vary in size, large chunks and fine slivers, it all works. Enjoy!
