This week the family got together for some evening swimming and low-key dinner so we decided to make these chocolate chip cookie bars for dessert. Like a giant chocolate chip cookie, these bars are buttery and surprisingly moist even though they firmly hold their shape (the better to eat in the pool, or in a lunch box).

To prepare you start by buttering a rimmed baking sheet with butter, set aside. Then whisk together flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl cream butter and sugars (1 cup granulated; 1 ½ cups light-brown sugar) until light. Add two eggs and a tablespoon of vanilla. Then slowly add flour mixture until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. 

Next spread cookie batter on prepared sheet and bake approximately 40 minutes until golden brown, turning once halfway through the cooking time. Let cool completely before cutting into bars. 

The bars have all the deliciousness of a chocolate chip cookie, but are speedier because you only have to prepare one cookie sheet. 

We arranged our cookie bars onto a plate to take to the swimming party. Then, feeling very Martha we took out a little blank card with a scalloped edge and wrote, "Happy Birthday Tom" and stuck it in the plate of cookies.