topic Re: Bar Cookie Recipe in Recipes

Bar Cookie Recipe

Kachina624 — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 02:46:52 GMT

I want to share this recipe which I've been making since high school. It's in my grandmother's handwriting and she died about 40 years ago. The variations you can make are endless. Heres the original recipe. I have no idea why theyre called Congo Bars.

Congo Bars

2/3C butter, margarine or shortening

2 1/4C light brown sugar or a combo of brown & white

3 eggs

Beat until well mixed. Then gradually add:

2 3/4C flour

1/2t salt

2 1/2t baking powder

Add one package chocolate chips and 1 C chopped nuts. Pour into greased 9 X 13" pan and bake at 350° 25-30 min. Cut into squares when almost cool.

I like that I can make cookies without standing in the kitchen for hours. I've made every combination of ingredients, substituting oatmeal, cornflakes for half the flour, adding coconut and candied fruit at Christmas. Tonight I added grated rind of one orange and white chips. I've added raisins and all types of chips. I suppose you could use peanut butter and chopped peanuts in place of the fat. Chopped apple and oatmeal would be good too. You can't mess this recipe up and it's quick and easy.

Re: Bar Cookie Recipe

nana59 — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 02:53:39 GMT

never heard of a congo bar until i met my future mother-in-law in 1971. been making them ever since!!

Re: Bar Cookie Recipe

happycat — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 03:14:20 GMT

I have this recipe. My mom wrote it out for me, with several others when I got married 30+ years ago. I'm gonna have to make it, sound so good.

Re: Bar Cookie Recipe

Silver Fox1 — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 03:23:54 GMT

I'ev been making Congo Bars for years, so easy and my kids loved them, so much easier than making, what seems like, endless batches of chocolate chip cookies LOL !

Re: Bar Cookie Recipe

Susan in California — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 03:33:57 GMT

@Kachina624

Looking forward to trying these. I like the idea that the basic recipe can be changed up with so many different additions.

Thoughtful of you to share with us. Thank you.

Re: Bar Cookie Recipe

Kachina624 — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 07:50:36 GMT

I didn't realize it but this recipe must have been the "in" thing maybe back in the 40s or early 50s, perhaps featured in some magazine. Interesting.

Re: Bar Cookie Recipe

Sooner — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 13:09:26 GMT

In the 1960s we made Magic Bars, which were also called 7-layer bars or Hello Dolly Bars. Now that's a blast from the past too!

Re: Bar Cookie Recipe

dex — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 14:44:33 GMT

@Sooner I remember those bars.How I wish we could go back to the good old days before we knew that sugar,fat and gluten were bad for us.I loved to eat home baking and was really good at it....by that I mean the eating part.Now I don't bake and it seems none of my friends do either.

Re: Bar Cookie Recipe

Sooner — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 16:51:10 GMT

@dexwrote:
@Sooner I remember those bars.How I wish we could go back to the good old days before we knew that sugar,fat and gluten were bad for us.I loved to eat home baking and was really good at it....by that I mean the eating part.Now I don't bake and it seems none of my friends do either.

@dex That's a shame because there are SO many beautiful baking pans now!

Re: Bar Cookie Recipe

AuntG — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 18:48:28 GMT

My two cents - use dried cranberries and white chocolate chips.

Re: Bar Cookie Recipe

dex — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 20:58:40 GMT

@SoonerLOL....The beautiful pans. I am forever attracted to new kitchen stuff but I don't need to stack up more in my cupboards.

Re: Bar Cookie Recipe

Mom2Dogs — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 23:48:33 GMT

Sounds good and easy to make...I love that you still have the recipe...in her handwriting. I have several of my mom's recipes in her hand writing.

Re: Bar Cookie Recipe

AuntG — Wed, 28 Feb 2018 23:59:15 GMT

@Mom2Dogswrote:
Sounds good and easy to make...I love that you still have the recipe...in her handwriting. I have several of my mom's recipes in her hand writing.

=======

I purposely kept a few too, just for the handwriting. Also, kept some WW II rationing recipes which I have no plans to make (unless I plant a Victory Garden).

Re: Bar Cookie Recipe

trenet — Thu, 01 Mar 2018 04:24:47 GMT

@Kachina624

I’ve made Congo Squares since a teenager but, I don’t remember where I got the recipe. (My recipe has vanilla.)

Like @silver fox, I too, prefer to make bar cookies. So much easier than tray in, tray out and no cookies to disappear off cooling rack before I’m even half finished baking.

Sometimes I add some dried cherries along with the chocolate chips.

I like the idea of your orange and white chocolate variation. I’ve added orange with semisweet chocolate chips but, never with the white. Happy Baking. . . and eating to all.

Re: Bar Cookie Recipe

hayseed00 — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 16:33:24 GMT

Just made thes last night and they were so good. I did add some vanilla, a pkg of milk chocolate morsels.

Re: Bar Cookie Recipe

alliswell — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 17:18:25 GMT

@Kachina624

Re: Bar Cookie Recipe

Q-Anu — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 23:17:52 GMT

These sound great - thanks, @Kachina624!

I love @AuntG's additions and will try them this way over the weekend.