Congo bars. That’s a funny name for a dessert, isn’t it? I’m not sure why they’re called that, but they are a favorite of my husband, Tim, going back to his childhood, when his mom would bake them often. My mother-in-law, Marilyn, passed away five years ago, and her Congo bar recipe was lost to us, as we did not find it in her recipe box.
Tim with his mom, Marilyn
Until a few years ago, I’d never baked Congos myself. But thinking that baking a batch of them would be a nice treat for Tim, I set out to see if I could find a recipe for these so-called Congo bars. Is that what they were really even called?
Well, let me tell you, Congo bars really are a thing! Searching the internet, I found a plethora of recipes labeled Congo bars. Some websites called them “traditional New England treats” while others said they were “popular in southeastern United States.” LOLs. One blogger even referred to them as, “Everyone’s favorite long-lost vintage cookie recipe from their childhoods.” Yes, ma’am.
And yet no one, at least in my quick research, seems to know why they are called Congo bars. One person surmised that adding “Congo” to the name was intended to make the bars sound exotic, since coconut was once an unusual commodity. Interesting, but the recipe I use does not even call for coconut. Or, pecans either, which many other recipes do.
Because I found so many variations of the recipe, I decided to go with one by a well-known celebrity cook, Rachael Ray. (Those are her beautiful bars to the left.) It was a great decision and the rest is Congo bar history, at least in my world. They are a family favorite, with near legendary status in my entire extended family. 😊
I’ve baked them to take to work potlucks, to our annual library tea, to family reunions, to send to my niece and nephew at college, etc. Or just to have at home when our sweet tooths need to be satisfied. In fact, I made a batch this past week-end for our at-home Super Bowl viewing. Can’t think of an event they wouldn’t make better. 😉
So, what are Congo bars and why are they so good? They are but a humble blond brownie with chocolate chips. They use only brown sugar instead of white sugar, and I think this is one of the keys to their deliciousness. Rachael Ray describes them as being, “Thick, rich and toothsome.” And, she believes it’s the butter and brown sugar that seals the deal. I concur.
As an added bonus, they are quite easy to make. And as long as you have a bag of chocolate chips on hand, chances are you’ll have most of the needed ingredients in your kitchen cupboards. I love them and am happy to share Rachael’s recipe with you now.
CONGO BARS
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter, softened
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups chocolate chips
WHAT YOU’LL DO
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside. Combine butter and sugar using a mixer until blended. Add eggs, one at a time to sugar mixture, mixing on low in between each addition. Add vanilla and mix. Add flour and mix until combined. Stir in chips.
Coat a 9×13 pan with non-stick spray and spread batter evenly into dish. Bake 30 minutes, then cover top with foil to avoid over-browning. Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out with moist crumbs. You will think they are under-done – they aren’t. Make sure you don’t over bake.
MY NOTES ABOUT CONGO BARS
Let’s talk chocolate chips. You might have a favorite brand you always use, and I do as well. I love Ghirardelli chocolate chips, and they are the only brand I buy to bake with anymore. The recipe calls for 2 ½ cups, but I pour the whole bag in. Maybe a full bag is 2 ½ cups, but I’ve never measured them out, so I can’t say for sure.
The dough will be quite thick, and it’s not super easy to spread in the pan. I just want you to know that this is normal and don’t think you did something wrong.
When Rachael tells you to not over bake them, she means it. I do as she says and bake them for 30 minutes, cover them with foil, and bake an additional 10 minutes, no more. And I never test their doneness with a toothpick anymore. I take them right out after the additional 10 minutes covered baking time is up.
Be very careful when pulling off the foil after baking. Steam will pour out, and it’s easy to burn yourself. I usually pull it off very slowly with a pot-holder covered hand. 😊
When it’s time to cut the bars, because they are so “thick, rich, and toothsome” as Rachael Ray said, they can be a challenge to cut with a knife. So, I use a tool called a scraper/chopper to cut them. I usually run it around the edges of the pan first and then cut the individual bar pieces. The pieces come out oh, so neat and tidy using the scraper/chopper. Two thumbs up!
That’s it! Super easy and super delicious! Please give them a try and let me know what you think.
A COUPLE OF UPDATES
I want to share with you now a couple of updates on past blog posts.
My October 19, 2020, posting was entitled “Missing Mackinac Island.” In this post, I shared with you my love for Mackinac Island, a place near and dear to my heart, as my mother was born and raised there. I wrote a bit about the history of my family on the Island as well as introducing you to some family members over the years.
There was one anecdote I wanted to share with you but did not, as I could not find the picture I needed to back up the story. Good news! I came across that picture recently while looking for another, and so now I can tell you about the small connection my family has to the making of the movie, Somewhere in Time.
Starring Jayne Seymour and the late, Christopher Reeve, Somewhere in Time was filmed on Mackinac Island in the summer of 1979. It was about a Chicago playwright obsessed with a vintage portrait of an actress hanging at the Grand Hotel. Through hypnosis, he travels back in time to meet her.
It was a cute, little film that didn’t do great box office at the time, but has since become a cult favorite. Especially on Mackinac, where each fall a Somewhere in Time weekend is held at the Grand Hotel.
Locals from the Island were used as extras in the movie. My mom’s sister, Mary, her husband Ray, and their daughter, Kathy, were lucky enough to be chosen to be extras in one scene. It was a party scene filmed inside the Grand Hotel. Here’s a picture of Seymour and Reeve from this scene. When watching the film, you have to look quickly, but you can see my relatives in the background. Well, at least I know they are my relatives. 😊
I wish I could tell you cool, behind the scene stories from the making of the movie, but it’s been 41 years now and any stories my aunt may have shared with me are no longer in my memory bank. What I do remember, is that she had a party for cast members at her home and was honored that Jayne and Christopher both attended.
This is the missing picture I was looking for! Taken in their front parlor, I love how Christopher Reeve has his hands on my aunt’s shoulders and is leaning in. It’s a sweet picture with smiles all around. For two big stars (this was Reeve’s first film after Superman and Jane Seymour was a Bond girl!) to be so kind to film extras is a wonderful thing.
By the way, another star of this film, was the late, great, Christopher Plummer, who passed away recently. Plummer plays the manager for Seymour’s character who does everything he can to keep the strange time traveler away from her. Here’s a picture of him with Jayne Seymour.
“Is it you? Is it?” This to me is the most iconic, quotable line from Somewhere in Time. Here’s a picture of the scene from the film. This spot has become a must-have photo-op for visitors to the Island, and is now marked by its own marker.
FYI, Somewhere in Time is available to borrow as a DVD from our library.
UPDATE ON KAREN
And now an update on a sadder note.
In my August 3, 2020, post “Mom Pom, I Can Do Anything!” I wrote of my love of four books meaningful in my life. At the top of that list was Karen. Karen told the story of Karen Killilea, a young woman born in 1940 with cerebral palsy. Given up as a hopeless case by many doctors, Karen’s parents took her home and lovingly cared for her, doing all they could to ensure she would be able to lead a normal, productive life. The book was written by her mom, Marie, who shared with readers her loving family who surrounded Karen with love and patience and helped her succeed.
They were so successful, and Karen was such a fighter, that as an adult, she was able to live a very independent life in Larchmont, New York. When I last wrote, she was just about to celebrate her 80th birthday on August 18. Now, I must report to you that Karen Killilea passed away on October 30.
Karen, with her sister, brother-in-law and niece.
Her death was not widely reported till the New York Times published an obituary for her on December 21. The Washington Post picked up the story and also published an obituary for her on December 23. Now, I read (parts of) the Washington Post almost every day, but I never read their obituary section. However, for whatever reason, on December 23 I did and stumbled across the obituary for Ms. Killilea. And while her passing did indeed sadden me, I’m glad I now have the complete story of the life of this remarkable woman whose life has long inspired me.
Here’s a link to the obituary of Karen Killilea from the Washington Post if you'd like to know more:
I'm going to leave you with a couple of pictures I found of Christopher Reeve filming on Mackinac Island. Yes, that's a car on the Island! Only for the movie. 😊
