Light Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

I love chocolate chip cookie bars, I lightened them up to include more whole grains, less fat and sugar. These are not as dense as traditional chocolate chip cookie bars, but they are super quick and easy to make which makes them great for potlucks! If you don't plan to use the pear baby food, use butter in its place (applesauce would make the bars much too 'cake-like.' Sometimes I like to add a few mini-chocolate chips into the dough before spreading into the pan. WW points = 2/serving

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 24

Ingredients

• 6  tablespoons butter
• 2  tablespoons  pear baby food
• 4  egg whites
• 1  cup brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup Splenda sugar substitute
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1⁄2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1  cup flour
• 1⁄2 cup  mini chocolate chip (optional)
• 1⁄2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease 13x9 pan.
2. Mix 1/2 cup flour with baking powder & salt. Set aside.
3. Melt butter and pour into mixing blow, with electric mixer on stir (or lowest setting) blend in remaining ingredients -in order they are listed above- including the flour/baking powder mixture (EXCEPT the chocolate chips) until just mixed. Do not beat, just stir slowly until combined, scraping down sided as needed.
4. If you are using the mini chocolate chips, stir them into the dough by hand.
5. Spread into greased 13x9 pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and press them gently into the dough.
6. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, until edges turn brown.