Pecan Chocolate Chip Gooey Butter Bars

. So I don't have any Foamer news to report this week, our perfect record of 6-0 still stands.  And why have we not tacked on another win [or potential loss, but we won't think about that!]?  Well, Omaha decided to drop a couple sprinkles of rain and the game was cancelled.  Boo to that.  But I guess I'm not too upset about the fact that I didn't have to slosh around in the wet outfield for an hour.  Let's just try again next week, hopefully the weather feels like cooperating.

But, of course, I made some goodies for our final game that didn't make it to the benches for everyone to enjoy.  Though I will say that I think the office was elated our game got cancelled,  because I  brought in the entire pan to work the next day.  The plate was brought back to me [empty] in record time.  No joke, kind of funny actually.

With that said, I don't feel like I need to gush about these bars too much.  The 9.56 minutes it took for these treats to be eaten up at 8:00 A.M. should be enough to convince anyone that they are good.  Gooey Butter Bar good.

If you're not familiar with these bars [which I most definitely was not until my Foamer teammate made the adamant request], they're pretty much just like they sound.  A tender blondie-like base, topped with an ooey-gooey mixture [resembling Pecan Pie] and studded with chocolate chips and pecans.  Each bite is incredibly soft and almost creamy, so soft that I will say that these bars are a little fragile [in a good way].  The chocolate, well it's chocolate.  But the pecans add a lovely crunch and nuttiness to the mix, so don't leave these out [unless you're allergic...I guess]!

Browsing through the hundreds of recipe variations for these bars, I noticed that the majority used cake mixes, which obviously helps if you're in a time crunch.  But I felt like going the homemade route, deciding on the Pecan Chocolate Chip Gooey Butter Bars recipe from Becky Bakes.  Her pictures alone were mouthwatering!  And as I think many can attest, these bars were just as deeee-licious as they look.  I was also amazed at how fast I was able to assemble the bars, one-bowl wonders I tell ya!  So regardless of any busy-ness, you can most definitely fit these into your weekend schedule.  Everyone will thank you .

My Notes:

• Unfortunately, I overbaked my bars a tad.  Though still good, I was told they weren't as 'gooey' as they're supposed to be.  I baked mine for the 45 minutes called for in the recipe, but just make sure to keep a close watch on the bars after about 30 minutes.  Depending on your oven, they may be ready before the specified time.
• You can, of course, mix up the add-ins for this recipe.  My thoughts?  White chocolate chips, walnuts, butterscotch chips, milk chocolate chips, dried fruit, peanut butter chips...just to name a few!

From Becky Bakes

Ingredients:

Base:

2 c. plus 4 tbsp. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1-1/2 c. packed light brown sugar

1/2 c. butter, softened

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Topping:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

4 tbsp. light corn syrup

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 c.  butter, melted

1 c. packed  light brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 egg yolks

1 c. all purpose flour

1 c. chopped pecans

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 350F.  Coat 13x9-inch pan with non-stick spray.  Line pan with parchment paper and coat with non-stick spray.  Set aside.

2.  For base, in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and brown sugar.  Add in butter, eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla extract and blend until smooth.

3.  Spread batter evenly into prepared pan (batter will be thick).

4.  For topping, in the same  bowl, beat together cream cheese, corn syrup, vanilla extract, butter, brown sugar, salt, eggs, and flour until smooth and light in color. 

5.  Fold in pecans and chocolate chips.  Carefully spread topping over base.

6.  Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until filling has puffed and edgs are set, but the center is just a little wobbly.  Let cool in pan completely before cutting and serving.

Yield: 2 dozen bars