St. Patrick's Day Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

One dough does both colours. A third of it is tinted green with gel colouring, then spoonfuls of plain and green dough are pressed into the pan in alternating patches.

A light swirl marbles them without blending the colours into one murky shade, and the candy-coated chocolates are pressed on top so they stay visible after baking.

How to Make It

1. Pan lined

   Heat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment.

2. Wet and sugars

   Whisk the melted butter with both sugars, then whisk in the eggs and vanilla.

3. Dough and chunks

   Fold in the flour, baking soda and salt, then fold in the chocolate chunks.

4. Tinted and swirled

   Transfer one-third of the dough to a bowl and tint it green. Press alternating spoonfuls of plain and green dough into the pan and swirl lightly without fully blending the colors.

5. Candy pressed on

   Scatter the green candy-coated chocolates over the top and press them in lightly.

6. Baked and cut

   Bake 22 to 24 minutes, until the edges are golden and the center is set but still soft. Cool completely before cutting into 16 squares.

Why This Recipe Works

• Gel colouring tints the dough without loosening it.
• Alternating spoonfuls give clear patches to swirl between.
• Pressing the candies in lightly keeps them from rolling off.
• Cooling completely before cutting gives clean square edges.

Ingredient Notes

Green gel food coloring

Enough to tint a third of the dough; gel keeps the texture unchanged.

Candy-coated chocolates

Three-quarters of a cup of generic green ones for the top.

Chocolate chunks

One cup, folded through before the dough is divided.

Success Tips

• Tint the smaller portion of dough first so the plain dough stays clean.
• Swirl with the tip of a knife two or three times only.
• Lift the slab out by the parchment before cutting for neat bars.

Serving Ideas

Cut into squares and stack them so the green marbling and candies show.

Storage and Reheating