Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

No time to make chocolate chip cookies?  This dough can be put in a pan and baked. 

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Ingredients
2/3 cup (10 2/3 tablespoons) butter
2 cups + 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 tsp. salt (use 1 tsp if you are using unsalted butter)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 large eggs
2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. espresso powder, optional
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3 cups chocolate chips, or combination of different flavored chips and nuts

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9 x 13 pan.

Melt the butter and stir in the brown sugar.  Add the salt and vanilla. Stir until well combined.
Allow the mixture to cool slightly then add the eggs, one at a time beating well after each addition.  Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl midway through.
Add the baking powder, espresso powder and flour, stirring to combine.
Stir in the chips and nuts if used.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it to the edges with a wet spatula )or your wet fingers). Smooth the top the best you can.

Bake the bars for 30-32 minutes, until they've risen and their top is shiny and golden.  A cake tester inserted into the center won't come out clean.  The center of the very middle of the pan may look quite molten. But so long as no wet batter is showing farther out towards the edges, the bars are done.  As they cool, the center will solidify.

Remove the bars from the oven.  You can use a heatproof spatula to press down the risen edges; this will make bars with flat, rather than humped tops.  let the bars cool completely before cutting; overnight is best.

Once cool wrap airtight.

Yield:  2 dozen bars