Grandma Reilly'S Congo Bars

• 2/3 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup walnuts (optional)
• 1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat your oven to 350u0b0 F.
2. Melt the shortening in a large saucepan. Mix in the brown sugar, then cool. Make sure you let this mixture cool completely or your chocolate chips will melt when you add them to the batter.
3. Mix in the eggs, then mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt. The batter will be stiff.
4. Mix in the chocolate chips, nuts, and vanilla extract. I've added the vanilla when I've added the eggs before, and it doesn't seem to make a difference -- but Grandma said to add it here.
5. Spread batter onto a greased jellyroll pan and bake for 18 minutes.
6. Allow to cool, then cut into square shaped bars.

vegetable shortening, brown sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, walnuts, semisweet chocolate chips, vanilla

Taken from food52.com/recipes/23235-grandma-reilly-s-congo-bars (may not work)