Monday, September 11, 2017

Congo Bars

Let's enjoy some tea, along with a cup of tea, while it's still nice on my patio.  The fold-up tiered stand is one that I found at a thrift store for less than a dollar because it was broken.  My son put some glue on it and it was as good as new. 


I'm using one of my late, Great Aunt Kitty's teacups that she painted for me. 

This sweet girl still likes to come over after school one day a week to bake together.  She is a great little baker and put together the  Congo Bars in no time!


While the Congo Bars were baking, my son, Mike, had a stencil ready that he had carefully made, with a design and word of Cissy's choosing.  They had designed this the week before.  She carefully and patiently filled in the heart by dabbing a sponge brush so that no pink was visible.  It turned out cute, didn't it?  Mike has found that using regular acrylic paint in a tube works well on fabric and doesn't wash out.




Yield: About 36 bars

Congo Bars

A friend of mine recently asked if Cissy and I had made Congo Bars together. I realized that I hadn't made them in years. My kids loved these bars, and they would be a hit at birthday parties.

INGREDIENTS:


  • 2/3 cup butter, melted
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups self rising flour (Cissy and I made our own...for every 1 cup of flour, add 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder)
  • 1-12 ounce bag of chocolate chips (use 3/4 of bag in batter, and sprinkle the rest on top)

INSTRUCTIONS:


  1. In a large bowl, mix the ingredients in order, saving the 1/4 of the bag of chocolate chips to sprinkle on top.
  2. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  3. Let cool and then cut into bars.
Created using The Recipes Generator

I was able to take out sweet Ella on a birthday dinner date, to celebrate her 7th birthday!!

If you're interested in joining the next teacup/mug exchange:

I am sharing this with these lovely parties:


Thank you for your visit!  xo


36 comments:

  1. They look delicious! I know it must be fun to have that little baker there in your kitchen. You two are making wonderful memories, and she is learning from the best!

    ReplyDelete
  2. My mom always made congo bars for us! How nice to have that little baker there in your kitchen. I love her passion! And Uncle Mike is the best uncle!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Congo bars are new to me. They sound nice and easy, too. Next time my grands are coming over... Your granddaughters have those million dollar smiles and they have a pretty grandmother, too! Great project!

    ReplyDelete
  4. The cookies look great and I love the fun tiered tray Kitty! Great tip about the fabric paint too:@)

    ReplyDelete
  5. These look quite yummy as does your pretty table setting. I can't believe your Great Aunt painted that cup! What a treasure! I'm thinking I probably have another week or two before it will be time to pack up the gazebo so I better get out there and enjoy it!

    ReplyDelete
  6. These look delicious, everything looks beautiful! Wishing your granddaughter, Cissy, a very happy birthday! it is so refreshing to see young people learn how to bake! Thank you for sharing.
    Blessings,
    Sue

    ReplyDelete
  7. Delicious and adorable Kitty, from the bars to Cissy and Ella! Cissy is ready to debut her baking blog any day now. Cissy's cute t-shirt must warm your heart too! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Kitty, What a pretty outdoor setting for tea. I love your Aunt's beautifully painted tea cup. Just gorgeous. And those Congo bars look amazing. Thank you for sharing the recipe. Look at your sweet little baker Cissy. She always does such a great job and the t shirt is beautiful. I think she picked a great word for her shirt too.

    Happy Birthday to your sweet Ella. She is adorable and I bet you two had a wonderful time on your birthday dinner date.

    Wishing you a great week and blessings be yours always my friend. xo

    ReplyDelete
  9. Good evening, lovely lady! Oh, those bars look amazing! They look like they would justy melt in your mouth :)

    Cissy is just too cute and my, what a darling shirt! You have a precious family, my friend.

    Love and hugs to you!

    ReplyDelete
  10. boy did this ever bring back some fantastic memories!! My former college roommate used to have her mother make these for us ALL of the time!!!!! I just love them! THANK YOU for sharing!! catchatwithcarenandcody

    ReplyDelete
  11. What an adorable assistant baker, and your Congo bars look delicious!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great save on the fold-up tiered stand! This is the first time I've heard of these yummy Congo bars...are they kind of like chocolate chip cookies? And are they named after the Congo in Africa?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Kitty, what a beautiful tea cup that your Great Aunt painted. I've not heard of Congo bars but I'm glad I did today! Yum!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh I would devour these simple bars. All that brown sugar is hard to resist!! The shit turned out just darling. You have such a talented son...so much like his mother!! 😍 Love seeing your sweet girls and their lovely smiles! And your sweet face too. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Awwwwwwww....s sweet! Literally and figuratively!!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Kitty, such a pretty table, I love how the flowers and colors in the teacup match. I love the t shirt and the special message. That's what important in life. Love the recipe, so yummy...........Love...

    ReplyDelete
  17. Such a pretty tea table, Kitty, and green is a favorite color of mine. Hope is one of my favorite words and so timely. It's always nice to see your precious grand-girls and they are just as pretty and talented as their sweet Grandmother. The Congo bars look very addicting :) Sending hugs and blessings for your week. xo Karen

    ReplyDelete
  18. Wow! What talent your Great Aunt Kitty had to paint that teacup, it is so gorgeous! What a delightful cup to sip out of :) Always love your tablescapes, wish I could sit and visit with you and drink tea :) What a special time to share with your granddaughters, making the bars together. They look very easy and sooo yummy! Gotta try them :) Hugs to you today dear friend :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Your Great Aunt Kitty was a very talented lady...the tea cup is SO beautiful! How special it must be for you to have it! I have never heard of Congo bars (called by that name) but I am sure I would love them. I think there is a striking resemblance between Cissy and you, Kitty! What a joy it must be to those kids to have a grandma like you! Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Kitty, one of the first things I noticed was your granddaughter's pretty green blouse and how it matched your teacup and flowers. Wonder if you did that on purpose? I often pick a teacup that matches what I'm wearing! haha! That teacup is exquisitely painted -- what a keepsake.
    I was going to a meeting last year where we were going to listen to a missionary from Africa talk, and we were supposed to bring a dish. I brought congo bars (get it??). I remember them fondly from childhood. xo Deborah
    ps that T-shirt looks quite professionally done.

    ReplyDelete
  21. YUM! Sounds amazing! Pinned!

    I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/

    Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Your recipe looks yummy and grands are so cute!Love your teacup too!Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Kitty, the Congo bars look good and having a sweet little helper in the kitchen just makes the baking all that much more fun! Your son Mike is a handy guy to have around by the sounds of things. You are blessed to have him there with you. Happy Birthday to Ella!

    Hugs,
    Sandi

    ReplyDelete
  24. It's so special that you and your granddaughter share those special times together. And, the bars look very good and she is just a real cutie. AND, I had no idea that the Tea Cup Exchange was about to take place. I've been waiting on it but had not heard. Glad you mentioned it.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Kitty, I have been off line all week with family staying with me after evacuating for five days from hurricane Irma. They left today.
    Cissy has gotten taller before our eyes. She is a sweet heart as is your sweet birthday girl, Ella.
    Great looking congo bars and alfresco tea party.

    ReplyDelete
  26. You had me dancing immediately with Congo Bars Kitty, what a fun name! Thanks for the tip about self rising flour too~ so sweet that she choose family for her T-shirt, and so sweet that your son helped with her creation! I can testify that acrylic paint does NOT wash out of fabric :) There is a product called fabric medium you can mix with the acrylic paint but I swear I don't think it's necessary. Your granddaughter and you have such a special bond that she will always remember every time she bakes...

    ReplyDelete
  27. Very sweet post. So glad your son , Mike could mend your treasure. The cup is lovely and the florals match. Love the cute name conga bars. Your granddaughter is such a cutie. Happy fall.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Kitty, love those grands AND the way you and Mike keep them cooking and crafting!

    ReplyDelete
  29. hi Kitty,
    These look delicious! Haven't had one in years! What a sweet little teacup too! It is so nice that your granddaughter likes to bake with you! She's going to be a fantastic cook later on....just like you! Happy Birthday to your granddaughter too! She is sweet, both of them are! YES! Looking forward to the tea cup exchange! :)

    ReplyDelete
  30. OMG! I LOVE Congo Bars! I haven't had them in years, probably a decade, if not longer. Ho boy, now I need to make some.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Ella looks a lot like you, too! Those bars are so yummy and easy too. Keeping this recipe. Cissy is truly your mini me. I would not be surprised if she becomes a professional baker and owns a bakery or cafe one day!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Those girls are the sweetest things. I remember making Congo bars years ago, too. A good recipe to revive.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Thank you for a bringing back a beautiful memory when I first baked Congo Bars with my best friend, XOXO

    ReplyDelete
  34. Good job Cissy, I love your shirt and those Congo Bars look amazing! We are having great weather to be able to take our tea out on the patio. Always wonderful to see your and your precious Grands. Enjoy the weather we are having, they say we will have a harsh winter. Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday,we are so happy to have you join us. Have a wonderful week and come back to see us real soon!
    Miz Helen

    ReplyDelete
  35. Hi Kitty, so sorry it has taken me so long to visit you. I have been so busy this week!
    It is so much fun make desserts with your grand children. Your congo bars look and sound so good. I love how easy the recipe looks to. Enjoy the weekend.
    Julie

    ReplyDelete
  36. Dear Kitty:
    Sorry to arrive late with comments - I hurt my knee in the garden and am on a slow moving journey. You have shared Aunt Kitty's cup and saucer and you must bear her name! How fun! I love the photos of Cissy and Ella. My Mom called me Cissy when I was a teenager.

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...