Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (That Actually Taste Like Cookies!)

Confession: I want to eat chocolate chip cookies ALL THE TIME. There's really no wrong time for a cookie, though society would have you believe otherwise. Ummm, what exactly is the problem with a bowl of oatmeal, cup of coffee, and a side of chocolate chip cookies?

Unfortunately, chocolate chip cookies are time consuming and, frankly, kind of a pain to make, especially when you just want to eat the cookies right this instant. So, you try to save time and effort by baking a batch of cookie bars, but they often end up tasting more like cake or brownies. Cookie bars don't really taste like cookies, do they?

Until now!

Quick & Easy (I Promise!) Ingredients & Instructions

1 Box of White Cake Mix (I used Pillsbury Funfetti - a relief after you saw that neon photo above, right?)
1 Egg
1/3 C Vegetable Oil
1/3 C Whole Milk
1 tsp Vanilla
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1+ C Chocolate Chips

Preheat the oven to 350F. By hand, mix all of the ingredients except the chocolate chips until just combined. I've made this recipe many times and have found that it's best to work out any lumps in the cake mix before adding the other ingredients and that a stiff spatula works better than anything else for stirring. Not overly mixing is the secret to making these taste like actual cookies. If you mix this to the consistency of cake batter, you're going to end up with Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake. Not that cake is bad, but you're going for cookies! Now, add in the chocolate chips. Press the "cookie dough" into a greased 9x13 pan, spreading out the mixture evenly, which will result in a fairly thin layer. The back of a spoon works well for this. Bake on the center rack for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown slightly.

The perfect Nascar-watching snack? Let's see if they pass the Sexy Nerd approval test:

Cautiously taking a bite and wondering why on earth I used Funfetti 

So far so good?

The recipe is a success!

Some Sexy Nerd mind reading: I agreed to be in your silly cookie bars post for one photo. Now get out of here!