CHOCOLATE CHIP GOOEY BUTTER BARS

 

 

It's Where I Want To Be

 

Mr. Jay sent us all a picture yesterday of Pensacola Beach. There he was sitting under a beautiful beach umbrella, sipping a cold cocktail and enjoying the sounds of the ocean. Even though it was a work-related visit, we all were envious. A flurry of text messages were quickly sent between the family....yep, that's all it took, one cell phone picture of our family vacation spot which holds so many memories for us all. Next year for certain.......sigh.......

http://bethcarverart.com/

I fell in love with the artwork above.

I have listed the artist website in case you were also captivated by these beautiful portraits!

Well, if you are not worried about bathing suit season, then you may want to try this gooey butter recipe. Good? Of course.......I think we all turned to a bit of "emotional eating"....longing for our beach vacation just out of reach.....a bite of sweetness made it all better!

CHOCOLATE CHIP GOOEY BUTTER BARS

1 (18 1/4 ounce) box white cake mix

1 egg

1/2 cup butter, melted

 

1 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (16 ounce) box powdered sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup pecans, chopped

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13" x 9" x 2"baking dish. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well. Pat into the bottom of prepared pan and set aside.

Still using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth; add eggs and vanilla. Add in confectioners' sugar and beat well. Reduce speed of mixer and slowly pour in butter. Mix well.

Pour filling onto cake mixture and spread evenly. Sprinkle chocolate chips and nuts on top of filling. Bake for 30 to 40  minutes, being careful not to overbake. These are called "gooey" for a reason as the center needs to be a tad underdone. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares.