I can't believe I haven't shared this recipe yet. This was my go-to cookie recipe this past P4 year, and I also was able to share it in our monthly P4 newsletter. Here's what I wrote for the newsletter last November:
Let me start off this blurb by saying that I miss you all so much. Not the kind of “emotionally-charged-running-into-you-at-Harry’s” kind of miss you,” but a “there-is-a-gaping-hole-in-my-pharmacy-family-heart” kind of miss you. I’m on rotation at Purdue this month and, as great as it is to be back here, the moment I stepped on campus I was overcome with a great loneliness in knowing that our entire class was not here together. Sad, right? [Side note: the P1s look like babies. BABIES.]
Well, if anyone shares this same sadness, here’s a chocolate chip cookie recipe that hopefully will make you smile :) I know everyone has an ideal chocolate chip cookie, so although this may not be your perfect chocolate chip cookie, this recipe undeniably makes the best rotation year cookies. Two reasons why they’re the best rotation year cookies: 1) they taste like a lot of work, but since the recipe is for bar cookies it only takes one pan and 15 minutes of your active time before you pop them in the oven and 2) since the recipe requires very few tools, it’s incredibly easy to clean up. Super fast and super easy – perfect for us P4s. I’ve also found that many a preceptor enjoy these cookies as well…Bon appétit!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars slightly adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Yield: one 9x13 inch pan of bars
INGREDIENTS
2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted (microwave ~1.5 min) and cooled slightly
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk (or may just use 2 large eggs if you don't want to waste the whites)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (= one 12 oz bag)
DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 325 deg F. Line 9x13-inch baking pan with foil, letting the excess hang over the edges of the pan so it's easy to grab and pull out the cookies later. Spray foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Mix dry ingredients (flour, salt, and baking soda) in a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk the melted butter and sugars in a large bowl until combined, then mix in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined (don't overmix!). Fold in chocolate chips, and then turn the batter into the pan. Smooth the top with the spatula.
Bake for 24-28 minutes, or until the top of the bars is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from sides of pan (do not overbake - the cookies will firm up as they cool). Cool pan on a wire rack to room temp, then remove bars from the pan by lifting the foil overhang. Cut bars over a cutting board into 2-inch squares (~24 bars). Break off a bar, and eat!