Salted Rosemary Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Okay, team – THESE bars are the goods. I don’t even have a sweet tooth – yet I had to physically remove myself away from the kitchen to avoid inhaling the whole lot. The smell from the oven after baking – PHWAOR.

There are two main stars in these bars (woo, rhyming!) – freshly chopped rosemary and white miso paste.

TRUST ME!

I know, I know – not your normal attendee’s to a cookie party. But, the Miso paste adds such a beautiful depth to the dish – the salty, umami deliciousness takes the sweetness of these bars to a whole new level. Whilst the rosemary in all of it’s fragrant beauty will take you by the hand and sweep you away! The sweet and savoury components are very well balanced in these bars, and I know you’ll love them.

Two important factors;

Light, white miso paste is best and the only miso I recommend using in this recipe (it’s sister on the darker side, will be too strong!) – it’s light yellow in colour, very mellow and slightly sweet & salty – perfect for adding to desserts. (And in this case, cookies!) It is a regular staple in my pantry. Most asian supermarkets will stock it, or it can usually be found in the international aisle at whole foods stores! It’s great to adding to sauces, soups, stews and even into vegan cheese sauce. Literally, this paste is like magical fairy paste and makes everything taste so much better.

Chop the rosemary VERY finely – the last thing you or a friend wants is a big twig of rosemary stuck in your teeth! FRESH rosemary is best!

Also, baking it in a brownie pan also means it’s almost foolproof. No need to worry about cookies not spreading properly! Everything will be safe and secure inside a baking dish. It also makes for very easy cutting and easy storage! I store mine in an air-tight container in the refrigerator – They firm up and become super fudgy this way!

Feel free to fill these bars with anything you like – in this case I chose dark chocolate chips & crushed almonds. However, I feel that macadamias and vegan white chocolate chunks would be utterly divine.

Without further a due – here is the recipe. If you make these bars, or any recipe of mine – be sure to take a photo and post it to Instagram and tag me & use the hashtag #sobeautifullyreal so I can see your lovely photos & share ’em!

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Salted Rosemary Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Makes 9 Squares

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150g vegan butter

130g soft brown sugar

80g unrefined raw cane sugar

1 flax egg (see notes)

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

2 tbsp white miso paste

3 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

80g chopped almonds

200g vegan dark chocolate chips (reserve a few for decorating)

230g all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

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1. Preheat your oven to 180C. Line a 20x20cm brownie dish or large loaf tin with baking paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar(s) together until fluffy. Add the flax egg, vanilla, miso paste, rosemary and olive oil to the bowl and beat again until creamy. Fold through the almonds & chocolate chips.
3. Add the flour, spices and baking powder, and mix until the mixture forms a wet dough.
4. Press evenly into the baking dish. Top with the remaining chocolate chips and bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden. (I recommend giving the bars a check after the 35 minute mark. The baking time may vary give or take a few minutes depending on your oven and if you use a different size baking dish, so if it still feels a little fudgy give it a few more minutes – however I prefer my bars super fudgy, and keep in mind it will firm up once refrigerated!)
5. Allow to cool completely before slicing. I like to quickly put the baking dish in either the fridge or freezer for 30 minutes to allow it to cool and set a little faster, making it easier to slice.
6. Keep stored in an air-tight container in a cool, dry place. (I sometimes like to keep mine refrigerated – they firm up a little and become super fudgy! Just ensure they are sealed well in a container to prevent drying out)

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NOTES:

FLAX EGG: Whisk together 1 tbsp ground flaxseed and 3 tbsp water and allow to sit for 10 minutes before using to replace 1 egg in recipes.

• I have not tried substituting the flour with gluten free flour, however I feel a 1 for 1 gluten free baking mix would work combined with either oat or almond flour. If you do try something, let me know so I can inform other readers!
• I assume coconut oil will work as apposed to vegan butter, just ensure it is soft coconut oil at room temperate not liquid.
• Coconut sugar would also work in place or either the brown sugar or raw sugar, just be aware it may not be as sweet and will be a little darker after baking.
• You could freeze these bars – I haven’t tried but if you do let me know how they turn out! 🙂