Chocolate Box Cookie Bars!
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Easy and delicious chocolate box cookie bars – your favourite chocolates, in cookie traybake form!
Leftover chocolates
Right.. roll with me here. Leftover chocolates DO EXIST. No doubt when I post this recipe, I will get comments saying “leftover chocolates?! what are they?!” as everyone thinks they are being funny… but in all honesty, nearly every house will have them.
Over a period like christmas, and easy and common gift is a box of chocolates. And if you are like me, and you get given a whole lot of chocolates such as Celebrations, Heroes, Roses and so on… you will have far too many to eat.
It’s not so bad for a big family, and a family that don’t receive too many chocolates… but I always get given loads. Whether they are gifted from companies because of my blog, presents from friends or family, or me buying another box as I was ‘spontaneous’.. I have too many.
Chocolate box cookie bars
When you have over SEVEN tubs of chocolates, it’s just too many. Therefore, the easiest thing to do is to shove them all in a bake! Whether its a no-bake treat such as rocky road, or something like this.. it’s a much easier way of using them up, and being able to give them away!
I love putting chocolates into a bake as I often prefer them that way – I don’t often eat chocolates on their own as I have so much sweetness in my life already, and I feel like giving away a box of chocolates you got given yourself is a bit odd…
Cookie dough
For these, I used my regular and favourite cookie bar recipe that you can find in my other ones, such as my oh-so-popular mini egg cookie bars for example. You just take out the chocolates featured in that recipe, such as the Mini Eggs, and replace it with chocolates!
If you fancied making this, but making it a chocolate cookie dough… take out 30g of the flour, and 1/2tbsp of cornflour, and add in 30g of cocoa powder instead! Both ways are utterly delicious!
Cookie bars as I will say again and again are delightful. The cornflour IS IMPORTANT TO THE BAKE. It changes the texture, changes the bake, and improves them tenfold. This is why cornflour is in a lot of my cookie recipes, so please don’t leave it out!
Tips and tricks!
The good thing about this, is you can use all of the chocolates in the box, use up the ones you don’t like if you are giving the cookie bars away, or use the ones you do like but if you fancy something a bit different!
This recipe is also great to use after christmas when you are a little fed up with all the food, as you can make the cookie bars and freeze them! You can defrost some when you fancy a cookie! Or, you can make up the cookie dough, and bake them as you please!
You can see from the photos that they are a tasty bake, with all the different chocolates poking through! If you use a lot of chocolates that have a runny centre such as Quality Street caramels, I would recommend freezing them before baking, but if you are using a large combination such as I have, I generally don’t bother!
These really are such an adaptable and utterly SCRUMPTIOUS bake – They are a great bake for all sorts of occasions, and also a great way to use up all that ~leftover~ chocolate that DOES ACTUALLY EXIST!!! Enjoy! x
Chocolate Box Cookie Bars!
Ingredients
- 275 g plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt optional!
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 115 g unsalted butter
- 55 g granulated sugar
- 135 g light brown sugar
- 1 medium egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100 g milk chocolate chips
- 300-400 g chocolate box chocolates (I used Celebrations!)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 190C/170C Fan and line a 9x9inch square tin with parchment paper, and leave to the side for now.
- Whisk/Mix the plain flour, bicarbonate, salt (if you are using) and cornflour together so its evenly distributed – leave to the side.
- In a larger bowl, melt the butter. Add in the two sugars, and whisk for about 2 minutes so the sugar starts to dissolve and the mixture is smooth.
- Add in the egg and the vanilla, and whisk again briefly until smooth. (I used an electric whisk)
- Add in the dry ingredients and the chocolate chips and mix with a spatula until a thick cookie dough is formed.
- Finally, add in the chocolates! I don't chop mine up. Fold through the mixture as best you can!
- Press the mixture into the bottom of the tin and bake the traybake in the oven for 18-22 minutes, until the top of the cookie bake looks ‘dry’!
- Leave the cookie bake to cool for about 10 minutes, then leave to cool fully on a wire rack. Cut the bake into 4×4 for decent sizes, or 5×5 for smaller ones! Enjoy!
Notes
- I used Celebrations as I bought SO many. I used all of them, as I'm not fussy when it comes to Celebrations.. but use your favourites if they're for you! Or even use up the ones you don't like and give them away!
- You can easily use others such as Heroes, Roses, Quality street and so on - however, if you are using a lot of soft centre ones, I would recommend freezing them first.
- These delicious beings will last in an airtight container for up to 5 days, but honestly, they’ll be eaten before then.
- Try microwaving them when they’ve cooled if you want a gooey cookie, or even add a scoop of ice cream!
ENJOY!
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J x
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Thanks I was gifted a 2kg box of celebrations after an operation that required me to be sedentary for a while….. so not a good idea!!!! Even after Christmas we still had loads so making these to give the bars away!!!! came out perfect . Thank you!
Can you make a butterscotch chips cookie bar recipe please?
Hi Jane, Can I use chocolate Revels in this recipe? Thanks! x
Hello! Yes its worth a go!x
Could you use baking powder or does it have to be bicarb? x
Hiii! Ideally bicarb should be used, but you could use 1tsp of baking powder instead!x
Hi Jane!
Would I be able to use this recipe as a base for all my cookie bars and just add 400g of any chopped chocolate eg maltesers, crunchie, smarties?
Thanks xx
Basically yes – although some chocolates wont work well or the same depending on what they are made of! x
Hi Jane
Would I be able to split this into 2 7” tins?
Thanks for all the awesome recipes x
Yep! x
Absolutely Amazing recipe. They are delicious will definitely make them again!
Absolutely love all your cookir bar recipes! At the moment I only have golden granulated sugar as my online shopping got subbed! Can I use this x
Hi can these be frozen
Absolutely! You can freeze these for up to 3 months. Hope this helps! x
Hello, do I need to chop up the chocolate box chocolates for this bake – if i use celebrations/heros/roses?xx
I didn’t bother!
If anyone is having issues with their cookies drying out, try baking at 175C (conventional) for 17-20 minutes – works a dream! Thanks for this amazing recipe 🙂
I know that you posted this comment a long while ago now, but I wanted to say thank you for the tip. I’ve had two attempts at the recipe and found my cookie bars to be too dry. Next time I’ll be sure to follow your advice!
Hi Jane, can marshmallows be added into this recipe? If so what would you recommend! Thank you, Lizzie
Marshmallows can cause a problem as they do often just melt and dissolve, so on my s’mores cookie bars I use marshmallow fluff. x
Hi Jane! I’ve tried your kinder cookie bars before – tasted delicious but didn’t have that gooey centre I was aiming for. Suspect my oven’s running too hot, do you think it would be worth reducing the temperature and/or bake time?
It could likely be both – your oven may have been on the wrong setting, or too hot, and or over baked! It would be worth trying to find what works best for your oven by reducing either or both!