Large Batch Cookie Bars

Have you ever needed to make a colossal amount of cookies for an event but didn't want to spend all that time rolling out each cookie and baking 10 trays?  Now you don't have to with my recipe for Large Batch Cookie Bars!

My local USO serves "Dinner for Soldiers" twice a week and volunteers make and serve all the food at each dinner.  Since my family has been going to these dinners about once a week I thought it was about time that I gave back and brought dessert!

However, since I knew the USO serves 100-150 people each meal, I really didn't want to spend hours and hours making that many cupcakes or cookies... so I made cookie bars instead!

This recipe for  Large Batch Cookie Bars makes over 100 cookies and is the perfect way to make a delicious dessert for a large group.   Baking cookies in a large sheet pan is not only less time consuming, but it's so easy that you'd be silly not to make them this way!

To make each cookie special, I lined pretzels across the top of the batter before baking.  This not only made each cookie bar individual, but it made the cookies easy to cut so that they were all almost even in size.

The great thing about Large Batch Cookie Bars is that you can mix in almost anything you want to them.  I could have used M&Ms, a variety of chocolate chips, raisins, nuts and even pretzel sticks on the top.  It doesn't really matter as long as you keep the amount the same.  Three pounds of chips and enough toppings to cover the top of the batter.  Easy peasy!

These cookies went like hot cakes at the "Dinner for Soldiers"!  I even had friends and neighbors come out to the dinner just so they could get their hands on one!

So, the next time you need to make a large amount of cookies or dessert for an event, try these Large Batch Cookie Bars... quick easy and so good!

Happy Baking!

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Yield: 108 cookies

Large Batch Cookie Bars

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

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5.0 Stars (3 Reviews)

Ingredients

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• 2 ½ lbs all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 ½ lbs unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 ½ lbs creamy peanut butter
• 1 lb light brown sugar
• 1 lb granulated sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 3 large egg yolks
• 3 lbs semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
2. Line 2 15in x 21in x 1in pans parchment paper. Make sure the paper goes over the sides so that the entire cookie can be lifted out after baking by lifting from the paper. Lightly spray the paper with non stick baking spray.
3. In the bowl of your professional size stand mixer (if you don't have a large pro mixer, you may need to break this into two batches) cream together the butter and peanut butter.
4. Add both sugars and cream together for 3-4 minutes on high-speed until light and fluffy.
5. While that is creaming together, in another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
6. In another bowl, lightly beat the eggs together with the vanilla.
7. Once the butter & sugar is creamed, add the eggs in three parts and mix well after each addition. Beat on high for 1 minute to thoroughly incorporate all the eggs. Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is combined.
8. In three parts, add the flour and slowly mix to incorporate after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl and make sure all the flour has been incorporated.
9. Add the chocolate chips and turn the mixer on slow until they are dispersed evenly throughout the dough.
10. Add half the mixture into each prepared baking sheet. Press the dough into the edges and sides of the sheet and smooth out the top so that the cookie is flat and evenly distributed.
11. Press the pretzels into the dough in 9 even columns with 6 rows. (see photo)
12. One pan at a time, bake for 18-20 minutes.
13. Allow to cool completely in the pan before removing to a cutting board to cut.
14. Cut each bar between pretzel. You will get 54 bars from each pan.

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