Chocolate Cashew Bar Cookies

Raspberry Danish Murder

## Ingredient

* 8-ounce ***(by weight)*** package brick-style cream cheese, softened ***(I used Philadelphia in the silver package)***
* 1 cup ***(2 sticks, 8 ounces, ½ pound)*** salted butter, softened
* ¾ cup white ***(granulated)*** sugar
* ¾ cup brown sugar ***(pack it down in the cup when you measure it)***
* 1 large egg
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* ½ teaspoon salt
* 2 and ½ cups all-purpose flour ***(pack it down in the cup when you measure it)***
* ¾ cup chopped salted cashews ***(measure after chopping)***
* 1 cup ***(6-ounce package)*** milk chocolate chips

## Directions

* Preheat oven to 350°F, rack in the middle position.
* Prepare your baking pan. Spray a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan with Pam or another nonstick spray. Alternatively, you can line the cake pan with heavy-duty foil, spray that and leave "ears" on the sides so that you can lift your bar cookies right out of the pan when they're baked and cooked.

**Hannah's Note: If you forgot to take your cream cheese out of the refrigerator to soften it, there's an easy way to do it. Simply unwrap the brick of cream cheese, place it in the bottom of a small microwave-safe bowl, and heat it in the microwave on HIGH for 20 seconds. Let it sit in the microwave for 1 minute and then take it out and attempt to stir it smooth. If you can't, heat it for another 20 seconds, let it sit for another minute, and try again.**

**Aunt Nancy's Note: This recipe is a lot easier and faster to make if you use an electric mixer. You can also do it by hand, but you'll have to stir like the Dickens!**

* Place the softened cream cheese and the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat them together at MEDIUM speed until they are blended.
* Add the white sugar and the brown sugar to the mixing bowl. Beat on MEDIUM speed until they are thoroughly combined and the mixture is light and fluffy.
* Mix in the large egg and the vanilla extract. Beat until they are well incorporated.
* Sprinkle in the baking powder and the salt. Mix it in at MEDIUM speed until the mixture is well blended.
* Add the flour in half-cup increments, mixing at MEDIUM speed after each addition.
* Shut off the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, remove the bowl from the mixer, and give your bar cookie dough a final stir by hand.
* If you haven't already chopped the salted cashews, do it now. Then measure out ¾ cup and add the nuts to your bowl. Mix them in thoroughly by hand with a spoon.
* Mix the milk chocolate chips.
* Transfer your bar cookie dough into your prepared pan and spread it out with a rubber spatula or your impeccably clean hands. Pat the dough into the corners and cover the entire bottom of the pan. Press it down as evenly as you can.
* Bake your Chocolate Cashew Bar Cookies at 350°F for 30 minutes or until the top is a light golden brown.
* Let your bar cookies cool on the cold stovetop burner or on a wire rack until the pan is completely cool to the touch.
* When your bar cookies are completely cool, frost them with Milk Chocolate Fudge Frosting, following the directions in the frosting recipe.
* Let the frosted bar cookies cool completely. Then cover the pan with aluminum foil and either store them on the counter or refrigerate them until you'd like to serve them.
* To serve, cut the bars into brownie-size pieces, place them on a pretty platter, and serve them with strong, hot coffee or cold glasses of milk.

Yield: Approximately 30 Chocolate Cashew Bar Cookies, but this depends entirely on how large you cut the pieces.