Easter in our home means mini eggs, and these sourdough mini egg cookie bars are a scrumptious manner to make use of them! The bottom is a browned butter, sourdough discard cookie dough that bakes up thick and fudgy with crisp edges, and it’s loaded with chopped chocolate and mini eggs.
These sourdough mini egg cookie bars are a seasonal spin on my sourdough discard cookie bars from my Baking with Butter weblog. The bottom dough is made with browned butter and sourdough discard, which supplies the bars a deeper flavour that you just simply don’t get with an ordinary cookie dough. The dough is pressed into an 8×8-inch (20x20cm) pan, studded with chopped darkish chocolate chunks, after which topped with a beneficiant layer of Cadbury mini eggs earlier than baking.
If in case you have by no means browned butter earlier than, please don’t skip it. Browning removes a few of the water content material from the butter and caramelises the milk solids, which supplies the dough a wealthy, toasty flavour. The important thing step right here is to sit back the browned butter after it has cooled so it solidifies earlier than you cream it with the sugars. This prevents the dough from turning greasy throughout baking.
These are a sourdough discard recipe, so that you don’t want an lively, freshly fed starter. Any discard sitting at the back of your fridge at 100% hydration will work completely.
Key Components and why
Butter. This will get browned first, which is crucial each for flavour and for construction. Browning removes round 20% of the water, which implies the dough holds collectively higher.
Sourdough discard starter. That is the ingredient that units these cookie bars aside from a daily chocolate chip bar. The starter provides flavour, and likewise makes the bars a bit softer than an ordinary cookie bar, which I like. A 100% hydration starter (equal weights flour and water) works greatest right here.
Mushy brown sugar and granulated white sugar. Brown sugar provides moisture and a caramel-like chew, whereas white sugar helps the sides crisp up barely and offers that crinkly, golden high.
Baking soda. This reacts with the acid within the sourdough starter to present the bars a bit elevate.
Chopped darkish chocolate. I chop a chocolate bar relatively than utilizing chips as a result of the irregular items soften into completely different sized swimming pools by the dough. I like darkish chocolate right here as a distinction to the sweetness of the mini eggs, however milk chocolate additionally works if that’s your choice.
Mini eggs. Cadbury mini eggs are my go-to. I combine most of them into the dough, after which press halves into the highest earlier than baking. It makes a extremely fairly end and means you get mini egg in each chunk.
Methodology
Prepare dinner the butter in a saucepan till the milk solids have caramelised and the butter smells nutty.
Pour right into a bowl and funky to room temperature, then refrigerate till fully chilly and strong.
Beat the chilly browned butter by itself for a minute or so till loosened, then cream within the sugars.
Combine within the sourdough discard, egg, and vanilla till nicely mixed.
Stir within the flour, baking soda, and salt till nearly mixed with just a few dry streaks, then fold within the chopped chocolate and mini eggs.
Unfold the dough right into a pan. Press extra mini eggs into the highest.
Bake till the highest is about and golden. Cool fully within the pan earlier than slicing.
Chill the butter till fully chilly. You possibly can depart the browned butter within the fridge in a single day if that’s best. As a result of browning removes the water from the butter and adjustments the fats construction when it re-solidifies, it really lotions extra simply from chilly than common butter would, so don’t fear about it being too arduous. You’ll nonetheless want an electrical mixer, or if you happen to don’t have one, let the butter sit out at room temperature for a short while first till it softens barely, then beat it by hand.
Easy methods to halve mini eggs. The simplest solution to get clear halves is to chop them one by one with a pointy knife, urgent down firmly and thoroughly. It offers you essentially the most management and the cleanest outcome, although you do have to take your time as they’ll slip. Alternatively, you possibly can put a handful in a zip-lock bag and provides them just a few agency whacks with a rolling pin, however you’ll get extra irregular items than clear halves. For the highest of the bars the place look issues, the knife methodology is price the additional effort.
Barely underbake. These bars proceed to set as they cool. Pull them from the oven when the centre appears to be like simply set and now not moist, even when it nonetheless appears gentle. By the point they attain room temperature they are going to be completely chewy and fudgy within the center.
Chill the dough you probably have time. You possibly can cowl the dough within the pan and refrigerate it for as much as 3 days earlier than baking. This intensifies the flavour and produces a fair chewier texture. Add the mini eggs to the highest simply earlier than baking, not earlier than chilling.
Storing
Retailer the baked cookie bars at room temperature in an hermetic container for as much as 5 days. They keep chewy and scrumptious, and I believe the flavour really improves on day two as soon as the whole lot has settled. You may as well freeze them, nicely wrapped, for as much as 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Associated recipes
Sourdough Mini Egg Cookie Bars
Elien Lewis
These sourdough mini egg cookie bars are thick and gentle with a deep, nutty flavour from browned butter and a stunning softness from sourdough discard. The dough is loaded with chopped chocolate and mini eggs, then topped with mini egg halves earlier than baking. They’re the right Easter bake and are available collectively in a single bowl.
Prep Time 20 minutes minsCook Time 28 minutes minsCooling Time 2 hours hrsTotal Time 2 hours hrs 50 minutes minutes
Course Dessert, SnackCuisine American, New Zealand
Servings 16 barsCalories 215 kcal
140 g unsalted butter100 g granulated white sugar65 g gentle brown sugar100 g sourdough discard starter1 giant egg1 tsp vanilla extract190 g all-purpose flour3/4 tsp baking soda1/2 tsp salt50 g darkish chocolate roughly chopped into chunks125 g mini eggs plus further halves to press into the highest
Soften the butter in a small saucepan over medium warmth. Proceed cooking, stirring often, for round 3-4 minutes till the milk solids have turned golden brown and the butter smells nutty. Pour instantly into a big heatproof bowl, scraping in all of the browned bits. Cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, then refrigerate till fully chilly and strong. You possibly can depart it in a single day. It would weigh round 112-115g at this level, having misplaced some water throughout browning.140 g unsalted butterBeat the chilly browned butter by itself with an electrical hand mixer for a few minute till loosened and barely fluffy. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and proceed beating for about 2 minutes till mild and fluffy. As a result of browning removes the water from the butter and adjustments the fats construction when it re-solidifies, it lotions extra simply from chilly than common butter would. If you do not have an electrical mixer, let the butter sit out at room temperature for a short while first till it softens barely earlier than beating. 100 g granulated white sugar, 65 g gentle brown sugarAdd the sourdough discard, egg, and vanilla and blend till nicely mixed. 100 g sourdough discard starter, 1 giant egg, 1 tsp vanilla extractWhisk collectively the flour, baking soda and salt. Add this to the butter combination and blend till nearly mixed with only a few dry streaks remaining. Add the chopped chocolate and stir to mix. 190 g all-purpose flour, 3/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 50 g darkish chocolate, 125 g mini eggsPreheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) common oven. Line an 8×8-inch (20x20cm) baking pan with baking paper, leaving some overhang on the edges to assist elevate the bars out later.Fold many of the mini eggs by the dough. Scoop the dough into the ready pan and unfold it out evenly with the again of a spoon or a small offset spatula. Press mini egg halves shell-side up into the highest of the dough, distributing them evenly throughout the floor.Bake for 25-28 minutes till the highest is about and golden.Go away the bars to chill fully within the tin earlier than eradicating and slicing. Slice into 16 items with a pointy knife.
Sourdough starter: Any unfed discard at 100% hydration (equal weights flour and water) works right here. It doesn’t have to be lively or freshly fed.
Mini eggs: The 125g of mini eggs is folded by the dough, with further halves pressed shell-side up into the highest simply earlier than baking. To halve mini eggs cleanly, reduce them one by one with a pointy knife, urgent down firmly. This provides essentially the most management and the cleanest outcome. Alternatively, place them in a zip-lock bag and crush with a rolling pin for extra irregular items. Relying in your model, you might discover a bit color from the sweet coating within the batter; that is fantastic and doesn’t have an effect on the flavour.
Chocolate: I like to recommend chopping a chocolate bar relatively than utilizing chips because the uneven items soften extra properly. Darkish chocolate (60-70% cocoa) balances the sweetness of the mini eggs nicely, however milk chocolate works if you happen to favor.
Make forward: Unfold the dough into the pan and fold by the mini eggs, cowl tightly, and refrigerate for as much as 3 days earlier than baking. Press the halves into the highest simply earlier than it goes within the oven. The flavour deepens with a chilly relaxation.
Pan measurement: A 9×9-inch (23x23cm) pan additionally works however the bars will likely be barely thinner. Scale back the bake time by 3-4 minutes and test a bit earlier.
Storing: Retailer at room temperature in an hermetic container for as much as 5 days. Freeze well-wrapped for as much as 3 months.
Each metric and US cup measurements are supplied. Use the toggle to modify between the 2.
Serving: 1barCalories: 215kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSaturated Fats: 7gPolyunsaturated Fats: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fats: 2gTrans Fats: 0.3gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 138mgPotassium: 47mgFiber: 1gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 257IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 1mg
Key phrase browned butter cookie bars, Easter baking, mini egg cookie bars, sourdough cookie bars, Sourdough Discard
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