Red, Sweet & Blue

Happy Fourth of July All! What’s on your agenda? A little fun in the sun? Barbecues or picnics? Fireworks? We are hanging with friends and family on our driveway under the sprinkler with a slip & slide and water balloons. Old fashioned fun! We’ll be enjoying pina coladas, homemade salsa, and a very special sweet treat: Red, White, and Blue Chocolate Chip Bars. Enjoy your holiday!

INGREDIENTS  1x2x3x

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars:

• 1 cup butter flavored Crisco
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup dark choc chips
• ½ cup white chocolate chips

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

• ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter softened
• 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

INSTRUCTIONS 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9×13 pan with foil and spray with cooking spray and set aside.
• In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt, set aside
• Using mixer, add crisco and sugars together in a mixing bowl and mix on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy about 2 minutes.
• Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined, about 1 minute.

• Add in the flour mixture to the wet mixture and mix together until combined.
• Stir in chocolate chips using a rubber spatula.
• Press cookie dough evenly into pan. (I lightly spray my finger-tips with cooking spray to make it easier or you can do it with a rubber spatula.
• Bake for 30-35 mins.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

• While cooling, make the frosting.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

• Using mixer, mix all the ingredients together until creamy and frosting consistency you like. You can add more powdered sugar if you need it to be a little stiffer or add in more milk if you need it more creamier.
• Frost cooled cookie dough bars with frosting and add decoratives immediately after frosting, because the top of the frosting will firm up, so they won’t stick.
• Cut into small squares.

*recipe inspired by The Baking Chocolatetess