Congo Squares

Ingredients
2/3 cup shortening. melted
2 cups brown sugar, packed
3 eggs
2 and 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chocolate chips (small package)

Directions
Melt 2/3 cup shortening, add to 2 cups brown sugar in mixing bowl, mix together and let cool.
Add 3 eggs and beat well.
Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt)
Mix well.

Add 1 cup chopped walnuts and a small package (1 cup) of chocolate chips.
Optional add shredded coconut 1/2 to 1 cup coconut
Mix well.

Spread in a greased and floured 9 x 13 inch pan.

Bake 350 degree for 25 to 30 minutes

NOTE: When I first moved to Penn Yan I ate lunch almost daily at the Peppermint Parlor Coffee Shop inside S&S Hospital to help support community projects. The Manager of the Parlor reached out to me and asked me to bake cookies for them to sell in the tiny luncheonette that was open to the public.  This is one of the recipes (Congo Squares) that I would bake for them to sell in the coffee shop. They were cut into large squares and were a perfect addition to visitors who just wanted a cookie and cup of coffee while visiting the hospital.  Sales were quite good and I did this for  almost a year of baking and selling cookies so they could earn money for the hospital.  I priced them as reimbursement only for ingredients and no expense for my time as a donation to help support the community. The hospital building has since been renovated and the Peppermint Parlor is no longer in existence. There is still a coffee shop to get a cup of coffee but only offers pre-packaged items and what can be warmed up in microwave. It no longer is a place to go for lunch.

This recipe is still a favorite for many of the locals. They had never had a bar cookie like this recipe and liked they it was a little different than just a chocolate chip cookie. I think the large bar cookie size square and the price helped this get recipe get a local reputation.