There are few things during the holiday season that bring as much enjoyment as eating my body weight in delicious baked goods. I kid you not, my body weight is not out of reach. But of the various options each year, ranging from cookies to pies, and chocolates to candied fruit, there's one sweet treat in particular that stands out as the leader of the pack.
We've touched on this baked bit of deliciousness in the past, and I see no reason they should be held as purely a holiday dessert (or family secret). Whether we know them as Chess Cookies, or "Aunt Judy's Chess Noels" (a name thrust onto the dessert after an apparent Christmas coup of years past), we ultimately know them as a nearly perfect treat that's typically gone in minutes.
Before I get to how one would actually make this item, let me first describe them. Think cake batter, slightly solidified, sitting atop a crumbled crust, and covered with powdered sugar...in bar form. Do I have your attention yet? Though they resemble lemon bars, trust me, they have almost nothing in common. It shouldn't come as any surprise that this is the typical view you'll get when you set these cookie bars out for people.
The day after Christmas we were snowed in at Wendy's aunt and uncle's house (not Aunt Judy, but instead her Aunt Margie, whom you may remember from her amazing Lemonade Cooler cocktail), and with nothing much to do, we decided to bake. As the original recipe was retrieved from my aunt's recipe box, we were able to lay eyes on the slightly yellowed-with-age and well loved printout.
As if we had just uncovered the Dead Sea scrolls, there sat the original name of the baked delicacies, "Chess Cookies." The legitimate namesake, Claudia, a former co-worker of Wendy's aunt's, had not assigned her name in the title of the recipe, instead allowing the recipients to know and enjoy the items as the simply delicious cookie bar they are.
For the amazing level of enjoyment one can gain from eating this cookie, it's rather simple to make.
Ingredients.
1 box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
8 oz cream cheese (can use 1/3 fat version)
1 stick melted butter
2 cups confectioner's sugar
Additional confectioner's sugar to cover
Directions
Before you begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. (I'm no baker, but I think this is some sort of a magical temperature that turns dough into amazing.)
First up, you need the make the simple crust of the cookie bars. Quite honestly, it doesn't get much simpler than this. Mix the box of yellow cake mix, one egg, and one stick of melted butter until the whole mixture is consistent. Wendy's Aunt prefers mixing by hand, but the method is totally up to you.
Once mixed, press the mixture into the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking dish that's been coated with a non-stick cooking spray. Try to press the crust in as consistently as possible, and make sure it covers the entire bottom of the baking dish.
Next we need to make the mixture that puts the OMG into this recipe. Combine the remaining two eggs, the 8 ounce package of cream cheese, and two cups of confectioner's sugar.
Mix well using a hand or electric mixer until you don't see any lumps anywhere in the mixture. Oh, and Wendy's aunt wanted me to point out one critical element in her kitchen. You apparently can't bake without a trusty Cincinnati Reds, Dusty Baker bobblehead toothpick holder nearby. You might have your doubts, but I know what this kitchen is capable of. That's all I'm saying.
Begin pouring the liquid mixture over the crust in the baking dish, taking care to get the liquid layer as even as possible.
After the liquid is poured, use a spatula where necessary to ensure a solid coverage and no areas of bare crust.
If you have any problem getting the mixture even, just shake/agitate the pan to level everything. Once you're all set, just pop the baking dish into the oven at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes. This will warm the whole thing and make the liquid set up a bit. Once it comes out of the oven it will be a little thicker and more solid.
Finally, sift additional confectioner's sugar over the top of the whole mixture. The sugar should completely coat the top of the bars, like a snow storm. (How fitting it was during the snow storm of Boxing Day 2012.)
Cut the baked and sugared items into their rectangle bars and serve while still warm.
I really can't tell you how good these are. I think you'll just need to taste for yourself.
We hope you'll try this out, if only because of how much I've gushed over them. Sure, I may have built them up far more than they could possibly live up to, but I think you'll like them no matter what.
And to Wendy's aunt Judy whose name has graced this cookie bar as of late? "Aunt Judy's Chess Noels," yep, I don't blame her one bit. These cookie bars as so delicious that I wouldn't mind it if my name we paired with these cookies. Indeed, "Alex's Chess Noels," I could get used to that.
Do you have any favorite recipes that should exist well beyond the holidays? Maybe you have something you look forward to eating every year? Or even a recipe or two that one family member has claimed as their own? We'd love it if you share.
