To my readers that have been requesting a peek at the new location of SMiLes, I’ve heard you! And, even better, I’ve remembered to take pictures! My new kitchen is great, lots of space, and renovated this past summer so brand new appliances. And, of course, yellow. Because if I’ve learned anything from my mother, it’s that you should fully commit to your favorite color and let it permeate every possible part of your life.

Unfortunately, I remembered to take these pictures in the evening when it was kind of dark, but you’ll get the idea.So much counter space! Under cabinet lighting! Stainless steel everything! Yellow! As you can probably tell, I’m excited about my kitchen. Another benefit to the new apartment is that we are on the tenth floor, so from my kitchen, while baking and listening to Brad Paisley’s Drinking Songs playlist on Apple Music, I can see really pretty views of the Charles River:Admittedly, my picture taking game was not on point last night while I was doing this. Regardless, the kitchen is great. The view is great. There’s not really much more I could ask for.

So turning to baking, I’ve been on a bar cookie kick as of late. Maybe because as a law student my life involves far more time reading than I thought possible to assign, and therefore slightly less time for extravagant baked goods, or just because it allows me to combine a whole bunch of different things I like into a single dessert while still seeming more thoughtful than a kitchen sink cookie.

Either way, that’s what I’ve got this weekend: Chocolate Chip Pretzel Bars. The general consensus from classmates was that they were too good, which I’m taking as a compliment.

First, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the butter and both sugars for about two minutes, until fluffy.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk until combined and smooth.  Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and stir in the flour and salt until just combined using a wooden spoon.Add one cup of the chocolate chips and half a cup of the crushed pretzels. Stir to combine. As further evidence that my picture taking was not on point, I forgot to take a picture of the dough at this stage. Hopefully, if you’re reading this blog, you’ll be able to get by without that particular visual.
Spray an 8×8 pan with cooking spray and spread dough evenly in pan, smoothing the top. Press the remaining crushed pretzel pieces lightly into the dough. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.Meanwhile, melt the remaining chocolate chips and vegetable oil in the microwave until smooth. Drizzle over the top and allow to harden before cutting bars and serving.

Full disclosure: I definitely didn’t wait until things had cooled. I brought them to the event still warm and gooey. If you go this route, I promise it will not prevent people from digging in. It just means presentation is a little less than inspired since you’ll have to take along the pan.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Pretzel Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, divided
• 1 cup crushed salted pretzels, divided
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.
2. Whisk together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a stand mixer fit with the whisk attachment on medium speed for about two minutes, or until smooth.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk until combined.
4. Remove bowl from mixer and stir in flour and salt until just combined.
5. Stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of the crushed pretzels.
6. Spread into an 8×8 inch pan sprayed with cooking spray and smooth the top. Press remaining crushed pretzel pieces into top of dough lightly.
7. Bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
8. In the microwave, melt together remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and vegetable oil until smooth. Drizzle over bars and allow to harden.