THE PIONEER WOMAN'S CHOCOLATE CHIP CARAMEL ICE-CREAM SUNDAE

I got this recipe from a magazine somewhere around a dozen years ago. It is still a good one.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 heaping tsp instant coffee
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups (8-oz) chocolate chips or chunks (more to taste)
Hot fudge
Caramel sauce
Ice cream
Whipped cream
Maraschino cherries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Thoroughly grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch baking pan; set aside.

Mix the butter and sugars until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix together.

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, instant coffee, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture in batches, mixing gently after each addition. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Spread the dough evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake until golden brown and the center is just cooked, 22 to 24 minutes. Allow to cool slightly in the pan before cutting into squares.

To serve, warm the hot fudge and caramel sauces. Place squares of cookies on serving plate and top with ice cream. Drizzle with each of the warm sauces. Top with whipped cream and maraschino cherry/cherries.

Yield: 8 servings

the file photo