Baking with Basil

One more long weekend at the lake and I’ll officially be ready for fall!!  The nights are getting cooler and visions of apple pie, soups, and pumpkin cookies are dancing in my head.  I’m also really looking forward to turning on my oven without sweating myself out of the house.  I printed out this recipe a LONG time ago and stored it away for a sweet and salty kind of day.  That day has finally come!

These bars are a fun twist on an old fashioned favorite.  The bits of pretzel gives a nice salty, crunchy bite.  They are soft, chewy, chocolaty and delicious!  They would be a huge hit at a tailgate party!!  ;)

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!!!

(Printable Recipe)

Chocolate Chip Pretzel Bars

Recipe adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• One 12-ounce bag bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups mini pretzels, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chocolate sprinkles (I didn’t use these)

1.  Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 9-by-13-inch pan with cooking spray.

2.  In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt. Using a mixer, beat the butter with both sugars at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract. On low, beat in the dry ingredients, just until incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips and pretzel pieces.

3.  Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Press the batter down with a spatula. If you want to use the sprinkles, sprinkle them on top of the batter. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown. The middle might be a little gooey but that is ok, the bars will set up. Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool completely.

4.  Use a knife to go around the side of the pan to loosen the bars. Cut the bars in squares and serve