They’re cookies. They’re brownies. They’re brookies. Whatever you want to call them they’re good. They combine the taste of a chocolate chip cookie and with the texture of a moist brownie. The best of both worlds. Actually, they do have a name. They’re called Congo Bars. Wait… I think I just heard a bunch of you go “oh, yeah … I’ve had those before.”
Well, I had them for the first time the other day. My friend Lori gave me one to try and I subsequently held her hostage until she gave me the recipe
Sometimes I wonder where I’ve been and how I could have gone this long without tasting easy treats like this. What else am I missing out on?
Here’s all the ingredients. Simple stuff.
If you follow the directions in the recipe, you combine everything by hand, but I decided to use my mixer and let it do all the work. They were yummy, but not completely the same texture as Lori’s. So I made them a second time the very next day and did it her way. I like how they came out when stirring by hand better, but either way they’re really good.
Look at that beautifully thick batter.
Spread it all out in a 13 X 9 pan and bake for about 30 minutes.
Cool and cut.
These are from the first batch. You can’t really tell by the photos, but the texture is different from the ones below.
These are from the second batch and slightly… just slightly, more cakey when you sink your teeth in.
At first I thought it was just a difference in baking time, but Lori also made a batch using a mixer without knowing that was how I made mine and both of ours came out the same.
She likes the mixing by hand method better, too. Again, this is a subtle difference, just thought I’d share.
The great thing about these bars is that you can mix in different additions if you want.
How about butterscotch or peanut butter chips?
M&M’s maybe.
You could even cut up a few caramel candies into small pieces if you wanted a chewy surprise inside.
Customize, baby.
Here’s the recipe Lori uses. She’s tried several, but settled on this one she found somewhere on the internet. If you google Congo Bars, you should find a bunch of variations to play with.
Congo Bars
Ingredients
Instructions
UPDATE: Hey guys. Seems some of you are having mixed results. Most find these awesome, but some say they’re not done at 30 minutes. I’m starting to think my oven runs hotter than most. So, if the bars aren’t done at 30 minutes and the tops feel like they are getting too brown, then place a sheet of aluminum foil on top and bake a little longer. Use a toothpick to insert and check for doneness before removing from the oven. Also make sure you sifted the dry ingredients and used room temp butter, not melted. The batter should be thick like the photo above.
I only had less than a 1/2 bag of chocolate chips handy, so I also added some Heath bits. They are cooking now, but if the yummy batter is any indication of the goodness of these bars, I’m going to be the hit of the party tonight!
I love making “blondies” (that’s what we call them) because it’s quicker and easier than cookies. My favorite variation on these is to use Nestle’s chocolate CHUNKS instead of chips and throw in Heath chips or chopped Heath bars (3 cups total of whatever add-ins you use). Unbelievably good!
Oh wow a mixture between brownies and cookies these sound amazing they sure look delicious too!!
I made these last night and they were a complete disaster, a crispy, yummy top disguising a gloppy mess inside. This was an expensive disaster: 1lb of brown sugar, the butter, the good chocolate and nothing edible to eat in the end.
Could you update with how these bar cookies can end up as a failure….what did I do wrong? I so wanted them, and after all the work, mixing by hand…..not even a taste. I’m so sad.
I know this is several years later, but I am thinking the failure point is in the amount of brown sugar. It calls for 1 lb., and for brown sugar, that is 2 ¼ c., packed. For comparison, 1 lb. of granulated sugar is 2 c., and for powdered sugar, 4 c. equals 1 lb.
I had the same experience as Ashley M #77. I found this similar recipe in 1973 on the back of a Baker’s chocolate chip sack. They called them Blonde Brownies.
Beside the amount of ingrediets being different, (except they did add baking soda), their concept was to spread out the batter and then lightly press the chips and nuts into the top of the batter. This method makes it taste like a butterscotch brownie on the bottom, with a cholate chip texture on top . Very Yummy !!
Blonde Brownies:
2 c. unsifted flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
2/3 c. butter (room temp)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla
1 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. chopped pecans
Mix dry ingred’s.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Add sugar to shortening
Blend in beaten eggs and vanilla
Add flour
Spread into 13 x 9 x 2 pan
Sprinkle and press in nuts and chips
Bake 350* for 30 min.
Between these and PW’s chocolate sheet cake, I have all the recipe’s I ever need for chocolate baked goods!!
Meredith (86)-good, sweet, and informative answer to Fiona’s (65) post.
Love ya Bake—–you are such a fun Blogger !!
Cece
Check out my humble blogspot, if you will please people :)
http://bakingandcookingblog.blogspot.com/
It’s started recently-ish
ohhhhhhhhhhhhh i think i have all the ingredients in my pantry………must try making them tomorrow.
i don’t think i’ve seen peanut butter chips here though…………so might settle with the m&m’s yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh yum
I’ve never heard of these before, but I wanted them! I made them tonight. Very easy and soooo yummy! Thanks for sharing this recipe. They were delicious!
mmmmmmmm just made these! though i didn’t have light brown sugar thought so used 1 3/4 brown and 1/4 white took a bit look to cook in the oven though about 45 mins but turned out oh so moist! I added almonds to mix instead of pecans but on half a cup but they still turned out delish!
these really look like the greatest. I want to make them, immediately (though doing so might get me into some trouble…)
Family and friends devoured these (I used walnuts, pecans, butterscotch chips, and chocolate chips). My 10 year old wondered why they are called congo bars…Thanks for sharing the recipe.
mmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!
i’m sad though cuz i can’t use my oven right now! :(
Over mixing after you add the flour is what changes the texture of the cookies- if you are in a hurry, you can mix everything with the mixer, but add the flour by hand. Should give you the same texture of a hand mixed batch, without all the time.
Thanks for the recipe, these turned out fantastic! I used butterscotch chips, as suggested, and it was perfect!
Ususally my brownies come out lacklustre, but I guess these “brookies” are something special.
Oh my goodness gracious…these look incredible. I may have to skip Happy Hour and go immediately home to make them.
…on second thought, maybe I could make them after Happy Hour…?
A girl’s gotta have her priorities, after all. I think chocolate and Happy Hour can be friends. :)
That is the most amount of sugar I have ever put in a recipe, and the most amount of arm work I have put into mixing :p But delicious results were definitely worth it :D Is the fact i nibbled some whilst it was still warm in the pan frowned upon? :p xxx
http://www.elliescakes.co.uk
I’ve always used the back of the chocolate chip bag’s recipe to make cookie bars! :P But it looks like you used a brownie pan; I just fill the cookie sheet. to the brim with dough.
But dang, those look tasty. Mmmmm!
We call them Congo Bars and use a pound of dark brown sugar instead of the light. I think they always taste better the next day – like soups and stews taste better the next day.
I am so glad you shared this recipe! I made them last night and they were SOOOO good — I will never make toll house bars again! I had almost a whole (2 lb. bag) of brown sugar and based on the labeling one pound would be equivalent to about 2 1/3 cups, which is what I used. This is a new favorite recipe.
I’ve never had a blondie batch turn out good. Always gooey. But … I might just have to give these a try. Gotta find some chocolate chips, stat.
(interesting how I first typed “chocolate hips”, used the backspace key to fix the “hips” part, and rewrote it as “hips” again … I guess that’s where the chocolate chips go – to our hips!)
Yes, I had these growing up and now make them for my family. We called them Congo Squares and we used semi-sweet morsels…YUMMY!!
ohhhh they look so yummy! can’t wait to try them out! thanks :-)
does anyone have a fantastic fudge brownie recipe they can share?
These look pretty much… Delicious! The butterscotch chips sound like they would be a delight….I want one right now, fresh out of the oven with a glass of milk, ha!
Thanks as always.
Sarah!
blog.candiquik.com
I have been searching for this recipe for 8 years- ever since a friend started bringing ” Cookie Bread” backstage during productions. My quest is over. Thank you thank you thank you!!
I just made them and the house smells amazing and I can’t wait to dig in! Thank you bakerella!!!! I made them by hand and got a good work out!
I saw this post yesterday and had to run home and bake them right away! Oh man, these are SO GOOD. And so much easier than drop cookies! Mine are a bit gooey on the inside, even though they’re gorgeous and golden on the top. I might have to cover these in tinfoil next time and add just a few minutes to the baking time.
Congo Bars are my ‘go to’ recipe when I need something yummy with little effort. However, I’ve always made them in a pan on the stove….melt the butter & brown sugar, add eggs, then dry ingred & chips/nuts (gotta wait a bit so it can cool and you don’t melt the chips – not that it hurts ’em to have choclate swirls in them). To me, the best part was ‘tasting’ the melted butter/brown sugar – yum!
Something tells me half of that batter wouldn’t make it into the oven.
Long time follower here. Just wanted to let you know there is a shout out to the queen of treats- bakerella- today on my blog
readysetplan.blogspot.com
Also a recipe for a pop like treat you are sure to be interested in..
i’m just writing to say that you are my waistline’s WORST enemy ! let me explain : i have been diagnosed recently and it’s called OFD (obsessive food disorder). i LOVE food. & i don’t mean the kind of pink hearts love, i mean, the eating, dreaming, breathing love ! yes, i’m sure others will recognize it too !
anyway, almost everytime you post something, it’s like i have an itch that i just can’t scratch until i try out the recipe ! my husband is not a fan of sweet stuff and neither are my neighbours or my “entourage”. this is torture because i end up wolfing down whatever i make with little or no consideration for the others in my house because i know that it would just sit around for days in a tupperware.
i made the cinnamon buns from your “swirls” post and although my husband indulgently ate 2, i finished the lot off in 2 days !
Bakerella, you are my hero & my enemy at the same time !
that said, can’t wait for your next post … :)
Of COURSE I have chocolate chips handy…always!Can’t wait to make these awesome bars!!! :)
just try with a little bit of honey and fresh strawberry inside! perfect for spring!!!!
I made them today, and- yep. Just as I suspected. These go straight to the list of things-I-can-never-make-again-because-they’re-too-addictive.
Thank you!!
nestle has a recipe of these… blonde brownies! thanks for the inspiration. love you always.
Hello!
I’m a long-time lurker, first-time commenter. I saw these and I seriously died: today I’m going to try these out myself and probably eat them all by myself, too. I love your site, whenever I’m feeling for something sweet, I come here and drool all over the place. It’s a bad habit but I can’t help it! I am not really a baker(ella) myself, but if it’s not too hard, I’ll give it a try. And these babies don’t look too difficult, I think I’ll manage!
I just want to say thank you for your delicious site and keep those treats coming! Even if I can’t make them myself, the eye-candy is more than enough. Sometimes I can almost taste the flavour just by looking at those gorgeous pictures.
Oh, I am definately sticking my hands into this recipe! Also love your new Pop Stars! Keep up the great work :D
i’m impressed. but nestle is pure evil.
I once made Mookies, a mix between cookies and muffins.
i got a chocolate chip cookie recipe and put the mix into a cupcake tray. they were great, the top was like a cookie and the bottom like a cup cake.
Oh my god, yum!
THANKS, Bakerella! Made the “brookiescongobarswhat-evers” last night and they were the HIT of the bake sale at my kids’ school today! They capitalized on the opportunity and raised the price after the first few sales. The $$ are being sent to Haiti in aid of the earthquake victims – so these one lb of brown sugar hummers taste good and they DO good!
I haven’t had these in YEARS!!! What a great memory and thanks for the recipe!
yum! although…aren’t these sorta like blondies??
I’ve been making these since the 70’s (called Congo Cookies) and they really are not the same as blondies or toll house bars. Of note, I have found they do not cook properly in an airbake pan.
We call them Tannies… :)
Raegan Dewitt – the scoop is leveled off. What your seeing is a little residue on the handle from scraping it against the lid to level.
Alex – Since your oven runs cool, try placing aluminum foil over the top toward the end of baking time to keep the top from browning too much. Glad you liked the taste though.
Yeah, I definitely preheated the oven and sifted! My oven tends to run a bit cool, so I usually leave things in about 10 – 15 minutes longer, but they were golden brown on top at 30 minutes, so I decided to take them out.
We ate the ones at the edge, and I can say I’ll definitely try it again (and cook it longer) because they certainly were tasty!
ZOMGoodness! I’m making these this weekend for sure!
What is the weight of the brown sugar you are using? I know you said 1 lb, but what does that translate to? Thanks for the recipe!!
We called them Blonde Brownies! Yummmmm
Oh no, I’m doomed. You had me at the title.
These sound amazing, and I’ve never heard of them either! I’m going to have to try them.
Thanks for sharing your new finds!
Yum! I made these today for my dh’s birthday. Yum! They were so good. Did I mention yum? :)
Elizabeth – I love Kroger
Mandy Smith – YAY – glad you enjoyed them so much.
Sharon – temp and time are correct. Did you sift the dry ingredients with a sifter? Also, the butter should not be melted, it should be room temp soft.
Alex – Did you preheat the oven and sift?
Michael Q – I guess I think of Blondies having no chocolate. Macadamian Nuts and or white morsels inside.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure these are Blondies. They need coconut to be Congo bars.
These look so great!!
I think I have to try to make them today!!
Thanks for the great recipes! :D
Hey, I used to make some like that when I was a kid!! Man, I should make them right now!!
Rebecca?
p.s. having a giveaway on my blog
http://www.bellemaisonshop.blogspot.com
I bet those would be the perfect texture for those cake pops…..
I just made these. Golden brown on top, completely undercooked in the middle.
What the heck did I do wrong!!
darn it!
i was just set one making the turtle brownie recipe from tasty kitchen…
but now i don’t know which to make!
too many choices!
I made this today (hand-stirred), but they were still very goopy inside after 30 minutes. They are back in the oven now, approaching an hour (now covered with foil), but I’m wondering if the temp or time was printed wrong?
Oh my goodness, those look so tasty! I’m totally making those this weekend!
Cookies and brownies are my favourite. Now i can have them together! thanks :) Love your pics – absolutely stunning.
Those look delicious! I can’t wait to try this recipe!!!
Yummy!
Good thing I just bought the 4.5 lb bag o’ chocolate chips at Costco today!
You wanna know how insane I am. I made these beauties, right after I read your blog this morning. Then I photographed them. Then I blogged myself about them. They are DE-LISH-OUS!!!!!!!!
Thank you Bakerella!!!!
If you have time, check it out.
Oh my goodness, I haven’t had Congo Bars in SOOOOOOO long. They’re great for picnics…and now I want to go on one of those! :-) Mixers…I LOVE mixing in choc chips, white chips and toffee bits. I’m not a fan of nuts in my baked goods, so tons of chips instead. Uh-oh, I have a craving! Thanks for bringing back such great memories Bakerella. :-)
they look like the peanut butter brownies I made last weak
yuumyy:)
Those look tasty but they are not Brookies. Brookies are brownies with blobs of chocolate chip cookie dough baked in.
Oh my goodness! This is my third comment for this post, but I had to tell someone! I said in my previous comment that it was a fun coincidence because I was looking at a Congo bar recipe in my Williams-Sonoma Desserts book last night — well I just got home from work and opened my book to compare, and they are the same recipe, except for 2 tsp of vanilla instead of one. The recipe in the book has one or 2 additional instructions, so I thought I’d share them:
– the lb of brown sugar was also given by volume in this recipe, so for anyone who doesn’t have a food scale, it translates to 2 1/3 cups of densely-packed brown sugar.
– The book gives instructions for by hand or by mixer for the creaming of the butter with the sugar – 5 to 7 minutes by hand, 3 to 5 minutes with a mixer on medium.
– The baking time was also a little different, the book said a 9×13 pan should take 40-45 minutes (but personally I trust Bakerella’s time estimate, she has never steered me wrong)
– The book also specifies unsalted butter. Me, I tend to use salted most of the time and just decrease the amount of salt I add, except for certain things, but i thought I’d share anyway. :-)
I think I am making these babies with semi-sweet chips, peanut butter chips, pecans, and those little caramel baking bits Kraft makes. Aww yeah!
Congo bars are some of my very favorite treats and these look absolutely fabulous! I love when they have butterscotch in them :)
There’s a coffee shop in Nashville that serves (what I think are) these bars, and they actually call them Brookies :)
How to Make Brookies (via Bakerella)
Step 1: Gather ingredients (simple stuff)
Step 2. Customize, baby!
Step 3: Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!
:D Wow! I don’t know what is more delicious: The Congo bars, or your hilarious commentary! Thanks for sharing! LOL
oh my goodness. i want to go to there!!
definitely bookmarking this page.
=]
Oh my gotta try those bars!
Can’t believe how much sugar’s in them, but I will totally ignore it and make them anyway, even though bikini season is just around the corner. ;-)
Delicious! A favorite in many houses for sure! It’s a slightly different recipe than what I’ve used before, LOVE all the brown sugar. Will try this weekend!
I’m in love! These look absolutely wonderful!!! I can’t wait to bake them. Thanks for your amazing website, recipes and pictures. You are the highlight of my week!
This perfect! I have beed on the lookout to use up my chocolate chips I have at home.
One POUND of brown sugar?! Say nothing more, I’m on it!
I am going to cancel all my plans for tonight. Just so I can make these!!!
OMG I cannot wait to make these. I was looking for something a little more “sturdy” then a cookie to take on our camping trip at the end of the month…these look fantastic!
TY!
Oh baby those look good!
Oh hell. Yum. Just YUM.
I’ve got a sick boy home with me today and likely tomorrow. Who loves chocolate chip cookies. And brownies. And loves to help me make either. An excellent project for this afternoon, I’d say – and the perfect excuse to blow off working in the afternoon. Hope my boss doesn’t read this…
Going to take the butter out now!
One other thing……no time to read all of the comments, so maybe someone else has already mentioned this……..
Have never heard them called “Congo Bars” We call them “Blondies”
OMG!!!!! – my mouth is watering just looking at the photo….
YUMMY! YUMMY! Cannot wait to make these…..
I think I have all this and I have the day off! :D Can’t wait!
Not fair to do to a pregnant woman. I will be making these today!!!
Those look fan fricken tastic!
If you want to add caramels, Kraft has caramel ‘chips’, which are actually little dot-balls. They are great in cookies and oh so much easier to use. The tough part is finding the grocery store that carries them. When I see them, I pick up a couple pkgs for ‘just in case’…
Every time I see your picture and you’ve bought something from Kroger makes me miss home!
Holy crap. These look delicious. Have to make an assortment of cookies and lemon bars for a shower. Maybe I’ll add these to the mix. Thanks!
You’re not going to believe me, but I just checked your site HOPING you’d have give me an idea for what to do with chocolate chips! I don’t have a choice now…
Wow, with that much brown sugar they should be super duper soft!
I wonder if I have time to make them tonight. I’ve been super crashing woman when I get home, but for these I might even stay awake!
I buy brown sugar in bulk – I use 2 1/4 cups to a pound for pack brown sugar – not sure if it is correct, but it seems to work for me –
THANKS for posting this – mine are in the oven now!
My mother-in-law gave me her similar recipe and called them “Chiparoo Bars” :)
One thing I noticed in the baking powder photo is you didn’t level off the scoop. Was this for the photo or do you not level your measurements? Curious as to what a difference this makes in the final product – do they tend to rise higher? taste saltier?
Blessings and good health to you! Thanks for the fantastic website! We are all looking forward to your upcoming book!
I’ve sworn off treats to try to shed some pounds. In fact, I’m breaking the rules by just reading this. But OH MY YUM! I think I’ll have to try these. And I’ll prefer to call them brookies. I’m rather fond of that name. =)
These. Look. Amazing! I really wish I had some chocolate chips handy! Why do I not have chocolate chips?!?!? I will be acquiring some soon! Thanks for sharing!
What’s funny is that on my way in to work today, I was considering making “crownies,” which is a pan of brownies with chunks of cookies baked in it. But these look delicious!
Can’t wait to try these! Great idea on the caramels.
Yum…but here have you been?? I know these as Congo bars and yours look delish. I have a new bag of chips and will have to make these for sure.
Oh my goodness I want these now….now to find a pound of brown sugar somewhere around here….
I will be stopping to get some chocolate chips on my way home from work. YUMMY!
My mom has been making these forever … only she calls them Yum Yum Bars. They are infamous in our family!
hm..how much is 1lb brown sugar. I don’t have a scale
wow, these look amazing! project for the weekend!
Well. We’re going up to my hometown this weekend and my mom (also an avid reader) just asked what we want to eat (we are foodies first and foremost…all discussions about weekend plans begin with food)…I think these bars are absolutely on the must bake list!!!
On my way in to work this morning I realized, I need to make a cookie cake for a birthday party this Saturday and I’ve never made one before! AHH!!! I walk in to work get this email and (yeah-I’ll admit it) I squealed! A friend’s supervisor LOVES cookie monster so he asked if I could make a cookie monster themed cake – well – put cookie monster pops and cookie cake together and Voila! :o) Thank you so much! An answer to my prayer!
Yummy! My mum used to make these with M&Ms – delish!
OMG this looks incredible! i am defintely making this this weekend :) thank you bakerella!
I can’t tell you how many of these I have eaten in my life. My mum-in-law made them just about every week, and now I make them quite often. I’ll tell you her ‘little secret’, if you like a moister/denser type texture, (which I do!), and that is, she would take the pan out of the oven about halfway through the baking time, and smack it down hard on the table, then return it to the oven for the rest of the baking time. It really makes these sooooooooooo moist and dense. I’ve made them without the ‘whack’, and they taste good…just not the same. Yummy either way, however!
I have to hand stir my brownies. They come out slightly tougher if I use my mixer so I always hand mix now. These look SOOOO yummy!!!
Oh yum! I’ve never heard of these! They look divine!
Rats! I just made chocolate chips cookie bars about an hour before you posted this! I would have loved to try these!
I think “YUM” sums up my thoughts!!!
But Fiona, lots of baked good use the same ingredients with “slight variations” in the amounts — but those slight differences in amounts and technique actually make all the difference in the world for the finished product. :-)
But, these bars are definitely more than a “slight” alteration from the Toll House recipe in the amounts of flour, sugar, butter, and choice of leavening agent. Here is the original Toll House Bar recipe (I was curious so I looked it up):
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 (12-ounce) package or 2 cups NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts
Similar types of ingredients for sure, but different proportions=a different product in taste and texture. I’ve had Toll House bars too, and they are yummy as well, and convenient. But I just have to try these Congo bars! 1 lb of brown sugar? Oh, I’m there, baby!
My mom used to make this recipe ALL the time when I was a kiddo….I need to go back to bars and ditch the cookies once in a while, bars are so much faster than drop cookies. Thanks for refreshing my memory of this recipe!
Coincidences are so funny sometimes, because I dusted off my Williams-Sonoma Desserts book the other day, and was eyeing up their Congo Bar recipe — but I like the looks of this one much better, so I’m going with this!
Oh my…those look fabulous! I wish I could enjoy one with my coffee right now. These little gems will be making their debut in my baking repertoire this weekend for sure.
you had me at brown sugar-we are so baking these this weekend!
A whole pound of brown sugar?? Wow! These must be amazing!
YUM. I grew up making these with my mom and sister, and we always called them Blonde Brownies. =)
My sister just made something similar, but added peanut butter to the batter, so they taste like peanut butter cookies, with tons of chocolate chips. to die for!!
Ohhhhhh, these look wonderful. I just bought chocolate chips, so now I will just HAVE to make them!! Thanks for the recipe.
My mom used to make these for my brothers, sister, and I when we were little (30 years ago) and now I make them for my daughter. We call them “Blonde Brownies.” They are my favorite!! And, oh, licking the bowl…..YUMMY!!!
Are they different from blondies? Less dense, maybe?
Anyway, I don’t like nuts in baked goods but I’ll forgive you and use coconut instead. Thanks!
I love the photo of the batter – I doubt I could hold myself back from just eating it all before the baking stage!
i know what i’m making this weekend… you had me at chocolate chip cookie and brownie.
I’ve never heard of Congo Bars either…but they sure do look and sound amazing! Can’t wait to give the recipe a try!
Oh man those looks amazing! I was planning on making plain old chocolate chip cookies today, but those look so much better!
And I’ve had something similar like those before. They are AWESOME cut up into little squares and dipped into yogurt. Makes you feel slightly less guilty about chomping down cookies. hehe
Cabin Fever in Vermont
i can see why they’re called “congo bars” because they look wildly yummy!!
We used to have those at every bakesale! And these: http://jojobean26.blogspot.com/2010/04/banishing-bikini.html
are what we call “brookies” in Rhode Island!
I make these all the time.. YUM!! :D
Omg I think you have just ruined my diet … In a wonderful way …
I love making these!
When I make them I use a 2:1 ratio of light to dark brown sugar and melt the butter beforehand. I find it makes the final bars a bit richer and chewier which suits my tastes perfectly.
Yum! I’ll be making these by hand. They look awesome!
Congo Bars? Really? These are just Nestle Toll House bars with a slight variation in the ingredient amounts.
Nothing earth shattering here.
My great aunt made these all the time. I actually made a little memorial card when she passed away that had this recipe on it. She was quite a good baker.
All of the ingredients are the same except she used dark brown sugar instead of light. Do you know what the difference would be? Just color or is there a taste difference btwn dark and light?
Oh, yummmm!! These look so good!!
These tasted as good as they looked…one of the many benefits of working with Bakerella – taste testing!
These look amazing! I can totally see the difference in the photos of the ones mixed by hand and machine mixed, what a great tip! I must try these, gorgeous! Thanks!x
another yummylicious foody to try =)
OMG. I really want to try these. They look AMAZING. I wonder if they would still come out if I substituted Earth Balance for butter, flax “eggs” for eggs, and semi-sweet chips for the milk chocolate chips. That’s a lot of ingredients to go to waste if it doesn’t work. I guess there’s only one way to find out, hmm? :D
mmm I have to make these right away! I’m so glad I always stock up on chocolate chips when they are on sale (er having 4 bags of chocolate chips in my freezer isn’t weird is it?)
Holy drool. I would love one for breakfast!
Oh Congo bars, I think I love you. Now my brain is thinking of all kinds of mix ins to add. I’m loving the caramel with chocolate idea.
A middle of the week Bakerella post – what a treat!
:) Rachel from A Cupcake for Moose
Wow!! Those look fantastic! A note on hand mixing, I have always done my chocolate chip cookies by hand, and so many people have commented that they are much better than other people’s cookies. I tried my new stand mixer, and they were completely different cookies….nothing like good ol’ fashioned cooking!!
yummy.I have been looking for a good recipe for these cookie brownies.Have you ever had a blondie talk about sugar overload but worth it.You put vanilla ice cream with chocolate and caramel sauce on top of the cookie brownie.Wonderful! (I have a great homemade caramel and chocolate sauce if your interested)
Oh boy I just lost three pounds, well maybe just a bite. LOL Paulette
I may not have any choco chips handy…but I do have a great big Easter egg waiting to be cracked. As long as it’s good chocolate…right?
Thanks for sharing such a simple recipe that can be whipped up in a moments notice.
This is my first time visit…and I’m sure from having taken a quick look…I’ll certainly be back ;0)
Flavourful wishes, Claudia
OMG, I really have to make these, I can see myself eating them already
The only problem I have are the measurments I live in Europe and here we measure almost everything in kilograms or ml for fluids and it takes me forever to convert the recipes, soooo I was wondering do you maybe… somewhere….just maybe laying around… have these measurments for this wonderful recipe :0)) , hope you can help me with this and I promise you when ever you come to Europe I will give you the grand tour!!!!
anything that has to do with chocolate chip cookie dough…is SO worth trying! YUM! Fantastic mouth watering photo’s! YUM!
I’m making these TODAY! You’ve twisted my arm.. :)
Ok, just finished dinner and i read your email. I know what I’m making for dessert!
I’ve never even heard of Congo Bars before this post… thank you for introducing them to me (-:
We will surely make them tomorrow when my youngest returns from her kindergarten – baked goodies with chocolate chips in them are her favorite.
LOVELY LOVELY LOVELY and DELICIOUS!
Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
I have featured you on my blog:
http://kevinjessicajensen.blogspot.com/2010/05/mmmmbakerella.html
You’re the greatest and I just love your site!
Hubby tasted some yummy soft choco chips cookies from a bakery the other month. He asked me to do it at home and this is exactly what I need.
Thanks for sharing this recipe. There are lots of choco chips recipes online, but I just can’t trust them. I only trust Bakerella love <3
EVIL WOMAN- I read your post at 0230 in the am at work and NO WAY I can make these for at least 8 hours. NOOOOOOO
LOL
A cross between cookies and brownies?!?!?!!?! I am in HEAVEN! I’m making these TODAY! x
They look divine! Too bad I just ate a handful of the remainder of my dark chocolate chips otherwise regardless of it being 2:00am right now, I’d pop in the kitchen and get to baking, no joke! I will try them asap though!!
I was just thinking, “hmmm…I have a chocolatey taste. What should I bake tomorrow.” THANK YOU Bakerella! You ALWAYS come through right when I need you!!!
Looks so yummy ! Though I think there’s no scientific explanation for the different results from hand mixing and electric mixers, I have a tendency to make some specific recipes by hand too. Can’t wait til the weekend to try those. :)
I love more cakeish kind of cookies, I usually omit about a cup of butter from my chocolate chip cookies to give them more of a cake consistency. I’m interested in trying these bars out to see if I like the texture!
Holy mother of sweetness! These look delish…and I want to add choco chips, m&m’s, butterscotch, AND caramel…Call ’em schizo bars! YUMMMM
They look delicious, wish I had one right now to bite into :)
Mirna – Yeah, I use those brands a lot.
Sonja – compare it to a box of powdered sugar that’s also a lb. Of course the brown sugar is packed. Hmmm.
Yvonne – I was going to do that and then I got caught up in eating them.
Margaret – I guess I could call these blondies, too but I usually think of those with white or butterscotch chips. These are so heavily chocolate chip they feel like they deserve their own name.
We call these blondies,too! They look great!
I just started Weight Watchers…. These could break me!
These look amazing! I cannot wait to try them. Your photos are making me so hungry!
On my way to the kitchen now….kids have a bake sale tomorrow, so Bakerella to the rescue!
I’m also making a batch of slightly different brookies. …..I take my fav fudge brownie recipe and, after I put it in a 9X13 pan but before I bake it, I add big ole dollops of my fav choc chip cookie dough right into the uncooked brownie dough (cookie dough blobs should be visible – don’t stir). Then bake the whole thing according to the brownie recipe and add a few minutes cooking time. The kids LOVE these! I’ll send you some snapshots :-)
oh yum – this made me so hungry !
I really need to find somewhere in Australia that sells peanut butter chips !
They look awesome. Now, how about a congo bar cookie bite? I know you can do it! Go Bakerella! I love your ideas :)
I believe the best response that comes to mind is “NOM NOM NOM!”.
oh my, those look delish!! I would go whip them up in a heartbeat if I hadn’t dumped my brown sugar into a canister (the kids like brown sugar on their oatmeal & cereal) and now I have no idea how much is in there. lol
any clue how to figure out how much a pound is with no scale? hehehee
Gorgeous photos, I can practically taste them!
oh these remind of (i think they’re called) magic bars! i LOVE them.
Oh yumm!!! Thank goodness for Cosco-sized bags of chocolate chips =)
I happen to have everything in my pantry! I will be making some of these tomorrow! Do you use the same brands of ingredients or do you get whatever is on sale at the grocery store? I wonder if it matters.
They looks so yummy! Recipe sounds simple enough as well. I shall try to make them next week if I have time.
My little guy’s school has these for dessert sometimes. I love to go eat lunch on days when they have congo bars. Now, I can make them at home too!!! Yum! Thanks. I can’t wait!!! {I need to go & get some more milk chocolate chips.}
Oh those look so good. My MIL makes them- but we call them pan cookies. (They are my hubbies favorite!)
I just noticed you have the same measuring spoons as me, and something about this makes me giddy. :)
I’ve been making these for years! Maybe I’ll make those for my “We are new to the neighborhood, Hi!” package for our new neighbors.
These are a favorite in our house….A receipe my mom used to make. I thought it was because she was a fantastic cook – she tells me now that it was because she had three kids. She had to throw the batter in the pan because we would have made her crazy if she were doing drop cookies. A fantastic receipe – happy to see it here!
Wow, these look amazing! Cookies are my all time favorite homemade treat, but these look so yummy! I’m going to have to make this recipe for our family reunion so I can share. Thanks!
Holy crap! If only I weren’t swamped with work I’d make these RIGHT NOW. Hold on while I wipe the drool from my keyboard…
wow. I want some NOW. This is going on my very long list of things I must bake immediately.
This reminds me of your cookie pie. I made it for my birthday this past March and it was a HUGE hit!
yummers…wonder if I have time to make this too before this weekend.
I just pulled these out of my oven. As in “I can still hear my oven clicking as it cools down” just.
Serendipitous, no?
Mmmm! I love all things chocolate chip cookie-ish! I am always searching for the perfect one too (I just made my current fave today)! I will have to try these very, very soon! Thanks!
YUMMMY! too bad I started weight watchers this week. they look amazing!!
Man, those look so dang delicious!!!! I wish I weren’t on a road trip currently so I can bake these bad boys!
can i just say that your amazing!! i’m going to have to try these VERY soon LOL =)
Oh, my. Wait. Does that say ONE POUND of brown sugar? Holy mackeral. And yum!
I call them Blondies too!! They are so super yummy… I totally forgot about them! Thanks for the reminder!
Mmmmm. I have had chocolate chip bar cookies before, but these look even more fabulous. I am going to the grocery store first thing in the morning! ;)
OMG!!! I love the name and specially it’s because it looks soooooooo delish. I need to make some, I have to make some… NOOOO, I need to make some, LOL!
I will, tomorrow, I’m going to bed now.
Thanks so much!
Yum!!! And who DOESN’T keep chocolate chips handy at all times???
OH MY…these look absolutely deeelish!
LOL on the brookies. I have tried something similar and they ended up terrible!! I’ll give these a shot, though!
Yum! In my neck of the woods we call them blondies. And I am now officially making some this weekend. Thanks!