Why is brown butter so delicious?

When you melt the butter and let it get brown, the flavor becomes nutty, toasty and more complex. It makes the cookie bars taste like toffee. That is caused by the Maillard reaction, the chemical process of browning, which we all love so much. That's why steak with a good sear and golden, crispy roast chicken and potatoes have so much more flavor than a gray steak or pale chicken.

Can you substitute other sugar instead of the brown sugar?

You can, but you will have completely different results. Brown sugar has molasses added to it, which gives the sugar more flavor, but also makes the cookies much more tender and moist. Brown sugar will attract and absorb the liquid in the dough, so that is why the cookies will be significantly more tender than if you use granulated sugar. Molasses is acidic, so it will react with the baking soda, which is important too. Raw cane sugar is not the same thing as brown sugar. It doesn't have any molasses added to it. Also, raw cane sugar dissolves a lot harder than granulated sugar, so in addition to the cookie bars being more dry and hard, the sugar may not melt completely when you make the batter. As the bars bake, the granules of sugar will melt and you'll have tiny dots all throughout your cookies.

How to store chocolate chip cookie bars?

The best way to keep them fresh is to store them in the same baking pan until you are ready to serve them. Otherwise, store them in an airtight container or a large ziplock bag.

Can you freeze chocolate chip cookie bars?

Yes, these cookie bars freeze really well. Store them in the freezer, in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.

Use a metal baking pan to make chocolate chip cookie bars.

This makes a big difference too. Metal conducts heat much better than glass or other baking pan materials. It will take longer for a glass baking dish to heat up, which means you'll have to bake the cookie bars longer and they'll most likely be overcooked. They will have overly baked edges and puff up more overall. If you want chewy, tender bars, the metal baking dish is what you need.

Why do you need to use both baking powder and baking soda?

While we need the baking powder to give lift to the cookies and make them soft, If you use only baking powder, the cookies will be more puffy and less brown. The baking soda will help to keep them more chewy and will make the cookie bars more browning. The baking soda is what will react with the molasses in the brown sugar.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Name: Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 6 oz (12 Tablespoons butter), melted, browned and slightly cooled; 3/4 - 1 cup brown sugar; 2 eggs, room temperature; 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

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5 from 2 reviews

Author: Olga's Flavor Factory
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 15 bars 1x

Ingredients

Scale

6 oz (12 Tablespoons butter), melted, browned and slightly cooled

3/4 - 1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the sides of a 9 x 13 inch metal baking dish. Line the longer sides of the baking pan with parchment paper, overhanging it on both sides, so it'll be easier to take them out later.
Brown the butter in a skillet. Melt the butter, then cook on medium low heat, scraping the bottom of the skillet to release the brown butter bits. Be careful not to burn the butter. Cool slightly.
Pour the butter into a large bowl. Add the brown sugar and whisk to combine. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix for at least a minute, until it becomes smooth and satiny.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the batter. Mix to combine, until the flour is incorporated.
Lastly, add the chocolate chips and also mix to combine.
Transfer the cookie batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it out evenly. The batter is thick and sticky, so it's a bit challenging to spread out, just take your time.
Bake in the preheated oven for 18-25 minutes. The top should be shiny, cracked and slightly golden brown. Do not overbake. The center should look slightly underdone. The cookie bars will continue baking for a few more minutes even after taking them out of the oven.
Let the cookie bars stay in the baking dish for another 5-10 minutes before taking them out. Pull them out using the parchment paper to lift them out of the pan. Cut them into bars.

Notes

If you're not serving the cookie bars right away, store them in the baking pan until you are ready to cut and serve them so they stay fresh longer.

They are best eaten the same day, but you can store leftovers in the same baking dish, covered or in an airtight container, or a large ziplock bag.

You can also freeze the chocolate chip cookie bars for up to 3 months.

Find it online: https://www.olgasflavorfactory.com/recipes/sweets/brown-butter-chocolate-chip-cookie-bars/