Grandma Reilly’s Congo Bars

Creator Notes

If my childhood had an legitimate cookie, it would wish to be my grandmother’s Congo Bars. I am now not distinct if my grandmother changed into once the mastermind within the aid of this recipe, but she positively had a dim belt in baking these gooey gifts to the field. They are like a fudgy brownie in texture, however the brown sugar makes them taste caramel-y. Even my half-siblings, who biggest had them a pair of events when visiting on weekends, quiet rave about these bars. They are biggest eaten out of a square-bottomed glass cookie jar, pretty like at Grandma Reilly’s. —Abbie C

Test Kitchen Notes

What a palatable bar cookie! These are a doubtlessly addictive and indulgent afternoon snack; I could maybe maybe even furthermore characterize the congo bars served, whenever you gash them higher, as a plated dessert within the comfort food genre, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and a drizzle of chocolate or caramel sauce. The congo bars possess a fudgy, gooey texture with a chunk of of crunch, equipped you embody the now not foremost walnuts. The brown sugar presents them a butterscotch-y flavor that lingers after every chunk. I sprinkled mine with a little sea salt on top, but they are great as is, too! —navahfrost

Ingredients

• 
  ²/₃ cup
  
  vegetable shortening
  
  
• 
  2 ¹/₄ cups
  
  brown sugar
  
  
• 
  3
  

  eggs
  
  

• 
  2 ³/₄ cups
  
  sifted all-cause flour
  
  
• 
  2 ¹/₂ teaspoons
  
  baking powder
  
  
• 
  ¹/₂ teaspoon
  
  salt
  
  
• 
  1 cup
  
  walnuts (now not foremost)
  
  
• 
  1
  

  equipment semi-sweet chocolate chips
  
  

• 
  1 teaspoon
  
  vanilla extract