Peanut Butter Bars

Best after school snack ever!

There is just something about peanut butter and chocolate that keeps a kid coming back for more.  I have to keep them in the freezer or I'd eat them non stop throughout the day.   I would consider peanut butter bars   health food.  Hello!  There's oatmeal in them.  

This post is for the cookie monsters of mine that would come home from school and head straight for the cookie jar so many years ago...wait...they still come home and look for cookies.  

I'm sure everyone has a recipe for Peanut Butter Bars.  This is how I make them.

You will need the following:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2 eggs

2/3 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 cup rolled oats

Topping:

1 12 oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 cup confectioner's sugar

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup milk

In the bowl of a large mixer, add softened butter and peanut butter.

Mix blend until smooth.

Add the sugar.

Add the brown sugar.

Cream the mixture.

Add two eggs.

and vanilla.

Mix well.

Add the salt (sorry about the photo).

Add baking soda.

Add the flour and mix well.

Add the oatmeal/rolled oats.  I like to use the old-fashioned oats.  I like the chew they give to the bars.  You can us quick cooking if that's all you have.

Mix until the oatmeal is well combined.  The mixture will be quite stiff and delicious to eat.

Spread the dough into a 17 x 12-inch baking sheet that has been lightly greased or sprayed with a nonstick spray.

Lightly press the dough into place.  Don't push down too hard. This isn't a crust, it's a cookie layer.

Place in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 18-22 minutes.

The bars will be slightly golden around the edges.  Remove from the oven.

Immediately sprinkle the entire 12 oz back of semi-sweet chocolate chips over the hot cookie.  I'm using the mini chips, because that's what I had on hand and they melt fast.  You can use regular size chocolate chips.

The heat of the cookie base will melt the chocolate chips.

Once the chips have all melted spread the chocolate evenly.

The chocolate needs to harden completely before moving on the the next step.  I place them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or until the chocolate is hard and the cookie bottom is completely cooled.

Once the chocolate has hardened, I make the peanut butter glaze.

In a medium size mixing bowl add the 2 cups powdered sugar

Add 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter.

and 1/4 cup milk.

 

Begin to stir.

Smooth until creamy and no lumps are left in the glaze.

Spread the glaze over the hardened chocolate.

Allow the glaze to set completely before cutting into squares.  An hour in the refrigerator should do the trick.

Peanut Butter Bars.  For the cookie monster in all of us.

Peanut Butter Bars

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2 eggs

2/3 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 cup rolled oats

Topping:

1 12 oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 cup confectioner's sugar

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 17 x 12-inch baking sheet.  Set aside.  Cream butter and white and brown sugars.  Blend in egg, 2/3 cup peanut butter, baking soda, salt and vanilla.  Stir in flour and oatmeal.  Spread evenly into greased baking sheet.  Bake for 20-22 minutes.

Remove pan from the oven and immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips.  Let stand for 5 minutes to allow the chocolate chips to melt.  When melted spread the melted chocolate evenly over the baked bars.  Place in the refrigerator until chocolate has hardened.  Meanwhile prepare topping.  Cream confectioner's sugar, 1/4 cup peanut butter and milk until smooth and is a spreading consistency.  If the icing is too thick, thin by adding 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until the icing is spreading consistency.  When the chocolate layer has hardened spread the icing in a thin layer covering the chocolate completely.  Allow the icing to set completely before cutting into bars. 

Makes 3 1/2 - 4 dozen bars

**Recipe can be cut in half and baked in a 9 x 13-inch pan

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