12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies-Chocolate Bar Cookies

Note:  for those of you who may have read about my mother being hospitalized in my Tuesday post, I am happy to report that she was released Wednesday.  I appreciate your thoughts and any prayers you may have said on her behalf.  Now, onto the business at hand today.

I cannot believe that we are at the half-way point of 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies and Sweets. Time has certainly flown.  I look at my list of things I wanted to post and find I have more than 6 left; so there will have to be some goodie posts outside of the blog hop, I think.  Brenda at Meal Planning Magic continues to do a great job of hosting this blog hop.  It is not too late to join in the fun, just head on over an get the details. 

I clipped this recipe from Sunset magazine many years ago.  It has become a favorite and is one of my “go-to” recipes when I need a quick, simple but impressive cookie.

These are thin bars with a light chocolate flavor, a texture somewhat like shortbread and toasted nuts on the top.  They are a very additive cookie.  I don’t make them as often as I did when my children were growing up for that exact reason.

Any kind of toasted nuts can be used in this, even chopped, dry roasted peanuts.  Because the nuts are on the top of the cookies, a half cup goes a long way.  Even though they do take a half pound of butter, these are a somewhat inexpensive cookie to make.   You may use half butter/half margarine if desired, but with so few ingredients the butter contributes major flavor to the cookies.

I unwrap my butter and place it on a microwave safe dish and soften it in the microwave in 20 second intervals as I never remember to take it from the refrigerator ahead of time.  It is easier to separate the egg if it is done as soon as it is removed from the refrigerator.  The separated egg will warm to room temperature while you are mixing the butter and sugar.

The dough for this will be stiff, and you may need to do the last little mixing with your hands.  I then divide the dough in half and plop half on each half of the baking pan.  I find this is easier for getting the dough spread out in the pan than trying to spread it from one big glob in the center.  The recipe says to wet your hands, and that is a trick that will work with other recipes where the dough must be spread or patted into the pan with your hands.

Chocolate Bar Cookies
Sunset Magazine
1 c. butter or margarine or 1/2 c. of each
1 c. sugar
1 egg. separated
1 1/2 c. unsifted flour
2 T. cocoa
1/2 c. chopped, toasted nuts

Cream butter by itself until it is smooth.  Add sugar and cream together until fluffy.  Beat in the egg yolk.  Combine flour and cocoa and mix well.  Add to creamed mixture.  Mix until well combined.  Dough will be stiff.  Divide dough in half and put half on each side of a greased 10x15-inch baking pan.  With moistened hands spread and pat dough evenly over bottom of baking pan.  Beat egg whites until foamy.  With pastry brush, brush egg white over dough, covering it well.  You may not need all the egg white.  Sprinkle top evenly with the nuts.  Bake at 325 degrees 25 minutes or until edges pull away from sides of pan.  Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes.  Cut into 1x31/2-inch bars.  Makes 45

These are just the thing to have with a nice tall glass of cold milk!

Be sure to hop around and check out all the other great recipes posted today.