WFMW--Bake it in a bar!

As a novice in the kitchen, I feel a little like I'm stealing to pass this along, but I will send credit to City Mouse-Country Mouse!

CM-CM, known around here as The Best Babysitter Ever, is far, far, far more talented in the kitchen than I am, and we have been blessed to be the recipients of many of her fun experiments and eagle eye for yummy recipes. She is also in general a healthier eater than I am, so when I found Nikki's Healthy Cookies recipe here, and actually got all the ingredients together in my kitchen at the same time, I showed it to her and let her know if she had time and wanted to try it, the stuff was all there.

When I got home from work that night, the kitchen smelled yummy and banana-y, but instead of cookies, there was what looked like a little cake on the counter. CM-CM explained that she was running out of time, so she baked it in a pan instead. (She also used white chocolate chips instead of fooling around with chopping the Scharffen-Berger bar. They made total sense in the recipe.)

First of all, for these particular cookies, it was a genius move, because the dough falls apart a little bit anyway, and in the pan, it held together imperfectly but certainly well enough. Second, the white chips were aesthetically pleasing and since we were in it for fun, as opposed to food allergies, it was a great move. And third, they cooked faster and gave better portion control.

I have made these cookies now as actual cookies, and have gone back to bars. Because you know what? The bars are the perfect compromise between cookies and cakes. Fewer things to wash. Easier portion control. And did I mention fewer things to wash?

I'm sure that bars don't work for every cookie. But they worked for these, and between the recipes on the bags of chips and the internet, I'm finding all kinds of other cookies that can be baked this way. And it beats the heck out of spoons and evenly sized drops and parchment paper and all that folderol. And that works for me! What's working for you?

Also working for me? Our new hostess! Three cheers to you, Kristen, and wishes for a long & happy run as hostess!