Congo Squares

Congo Squares... my goodness, where do I even begin to describe Congo Squares? They're kinda like a blondie, but not. They're kinda like a brownie but not quite because you don't use cocoa powder. Let's see, the best way I can describe them is to say they're like the best chocolate chip cookie you've ever had except they're bars instead of cookies.

They are somewhat temperamental to make, though, so please read all of the notes before you start. If they turn out cakey or hard instead of chewy and gooey, you've done something wrong.

Brimming with buttery, chocolatey, gooey, brown sugary goodness, Congo Squares are scattered all over the pages of my childhood. I can't recall a family gathering where someone didn't make a pan of them. They're definitely a family favorite.

I honestly have no idea where the name came from. Actually, I'm not even sure where the recipe came from either but I do know that my great-grandmother used to make them frequently. No one in my family can recall a time when there was no such thing as Congo Squares.

Grandma Helen took them to church social events often. My Mama also made them. Oddly enough, I didn't make my first pan of Congo Squares until I became an adult and had been married for 10 years. I have no idea why, really, I just never tried before.

You know how sometimes someone will give you the recipe for something they've made but when you try to make it, no matter what you do, you can't duplicate their results? Well, that's how Congo Squares are. Try as you might, if you don't follow a couple of seemingly insignificant little details that mustn't be overlooked, your Congo Squares are never going to turn out right. So please try to follow the directions to the letter or they absolutely will not turn out.

I can't tell you how long they last because they've never made it past a day at our house. In fact, I made a pan this afternoon but didn't have time to take a picture to include in this post because the minute they cooled, they disappeared.

Yes, they're *that* good. Trust me on this one. :)

Congo Squares

2-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2-1/2 t. baking powder
½ t. salt
2 sticks Parkay margarine (see notes)
1 pkg. (16 ozs) brown sugar
1 cup pecans, chopped
3 eggs
1 pkg. (12 ozs) semi-sweet chocolate chips (see notes)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 7x11 cake pans or one 10x13 pan. (see notes)

Sift together dry ingredients, set aside. In a saucepan, melt margarine and brown sugar together. Add nuts and allow mixture to cool to room temperature.
After the butter mixture has cooled completely, add eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each egg. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir only enough to incorporate ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips and immediately pour into prepared pan. Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool for a few minutes and cut into squares while they’re still hot.
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*Please note- The recipe posted above is the original recipe. However, I have found that the following changes make mine turn out like they’re supposed to more consistently:

Use 2 eggs instead of 3
Reduce the flour to 2-1/4 cups instead of 2-3/4

NOTES-

As I said before, this recipe is somewhat temperamental to make. When done correctly, they turn out with a chewy brownie/blondie consistency with a crackled, glossy crust on top. When done incorrectly, they turn out cakey or hard and brittle. They're still tasty, they're just not as good as they'd be if they turn out correctly.

You *want* them to fall in the oven as they tend to be too cakey when they rise to the top of the pan. If they don’t fall on their own, shake the pan to help them fall.

Only use Parkay margarine (specifically); do not use real butter. The squares will stay soft and chewy once they cool if you use margarine due to the amount of vegetable oil/shortening used to make margarine. They’ll turn hard and somewhat brittle if you use real butter. My great-grandmother said to *only* use the Parkay brand of margarine.

I have found the following helps if you must use real butter in a pinch: add one tablespoon of shortening to the saucepan when you’re melting the butter and brown sugar mixture.

If you add the eggs to the butter and brown sugar mixture too soon, they’ll cook and cause the recipe to taste eggy. Try to let the mixture cool close to room temperature before you add the eggs.

The above ingredients are the original recipe. I usually omit the nuts and use 1/2 semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1/2 milk-chocolate chips.

This is optional but freezing the chocolate chips for at least 20 minutes before adding them to the recipe will keep them from completely melting in the oven. They'll still be melty and gooey, but freezing will help them keep their shape and prevent them from running into the batter.

Be sure to use all-purpose and not self-rising flour. Adding too much baking powder to self-rising flour will make the recipe turn out cakey and it will have a weird metallic/baking soda taste. If you must use self-rising flour, reduce the amount of baking powder to 1-1/4 teaspoons.

Using two 7x11 pans will make the squares turn out somewhat thinner.

Using one 10x13 pan will make the squares turn out thicker and a bit more dense than using two smaller pans. But if done correctly they will taste equally good.

You can use a 9x13 pan in a pinch but I have not yet been able to get mine to turn out using that size pan. They all end up too thick and/or running over the edge of the pan.

As with any recipe, using dark or coated pans will result in a medium brown crust; using an aluminum or enamel-coated pan will result in a light brown crust. However, the taste should be the same.