Chocolate Sour Cream Coffee Cake Bars

I modified a recipe a smidge to use up leftover Halloween candy and excess sour cream (mistaken for cottage cheese at Costco). It is Chocolate Sour Cream Coffee Cake Bars, and is not recommended for diabetics.

Ingredients:

CAKE:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (4 ounces or 115 grams) at room temperature
• 1.5 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
• 3 cups (390 grams) flour
  (I used bread flour, all purpose should be ok)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

TOPPING:

• 12 ounces chocolate pieces
  (I used mix of M&Ms and leftover Halloween candy cut into small chip size pieces)
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F (175°C). 
2. Line a half sheet cake pan (13 x 17) with parchment paper, and spray sides with cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, cream butter and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar. 
4. Beat in egg and vanilla. 
5. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. 
6. Alternately mix in sour cream and the flour mix into butter mixture.
7. The final batter should be smooth and very thick. 
8. Mix together the cinnamon, the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder.
9. Scoop the batter into the bottom of the prepared pan and spread smooth. 
10. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the top
    (I spread about a tablespoon at a time.)
11. Sprinkle the batter with the chocolate pieces.




12. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating at about 15 minutes.
13. Test by inserting a toothpick into the center of the bars - the toothpick should comes out clean.
14. Cool the bars in the pan on a wire rack. (I cut mine after they were cool.)

Carole's Notes:

I think we will like these - they are still cooling.
The recipe is lightly adapted from https://smittenkitchen.com/2006/11/chocolate-chip-sour-cream-cake/
(I was aiming more for a bar-like consistency.)