My aunt Ellen gave me the recipe for these. Aunt Ellen is a pretty smart lady. How smart? Well. These bars do not represent the pinnacle of her brilliance. And these are The Bars. So. Pretty darn smart.

My uncle Phil has let me know that the time between the end of one pan of bombers and the baking of another pan is officially "forever." This seems to have played out in my household as well.

Mom made these just about every week when I was in high school, and Scott and Michael made sure that they were gone fast enough that she would need to make them the next week. I call that thoughtful.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2/3 c melted butter

2 c packed brown sugar

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2 t vanilla

2 c flour

1 t baking powder

1 t salt

1/4 t baking soda

2 c chocolate chips

2 T water

optional: 1 c nuts (My mom puts these in. She used to use walnuts, but now she's allergic to walnuts, so she uses pecans. Aunt Ellen does not put them in because her daughters don't like nuts. I don't put them in either, because when I bite down on a chunk of something in my bomber, I want it to be chocolate.)

Combine butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients, followed by chocolate chips and (if using them) nuts. Add water. Pour into 9x13 cake pan and bake for 30 minutes.