Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Peanut Butter Bars

Oh so satisfying. These came from another one of my very favorite cookbooks, Jackson Hole Cooks. I spied it at a gift shop in Teton National Park, browsed through it, put it down, walked out, regretted it, and went back in to purchase it. Most cookbooks I find only 2 or 3 keepers in the whole book that I consistently go back to, but this one has given me several gems. A friend gave me a recipe for her peanut butter bars a while back that were very delicious but I was appalled to find that they had FIVE sticks of butter in them...holy hannah! Granted, that was for a jelly roll size pan, but still! So I was pleased to find this version that uses only ONE stick. While that doesn't quite qualify them as diet food, it's a lot more reasonable. These are delicious the first day, and slightly softer and even tastier the second day.

Peanut Butter Bars

1/2 cup each butter, sugar, brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 plus 1/4 cup peanut butter (divided)
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. soda
1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 t. vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
4 T. milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Cream the butter and sugars. Blend in egg, 1/3 cup peanut butter, soda, salt and vanilla. Add flour and oats and mix well. Spread in a greased 9 x 13 pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle immediately with chocolate chips. After about 5 minutes when the chips are softened, spread them evenly on top of bars.

In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, 1/4 cup peanut butter and milk until smooth. Pour into a ziplock bag, snip the corner off, and drizzle over the bars. Allow to set up, then cut into 2" squares.

Yield 24 bars

8 comments:

Your Homebased Mom said...

I've been experimenting with bar cookie recipes all week for a RS event coming up I'm doing - this will be next on the list to try - was wanting something chocolate and peanut butter!!! Thanks!

Nurse Heidi said...

Awesome, Leigh Anne! You'll have to let me know how they turn out.

Kelly said...

These sound so good!

Char @ Crap I've Made said...

My neighbor made these last night and emailed me about them.

Nurse Heidi said...

Awesome, Char! Did they come out well?

Ann said...

I've been looking for these! Someone brought them to a family reunion last summer, and I couldn't stop eating them! Thanks!

whiting family said...

I made these today and took them to the beach to share at a picnic we had. Everyone loved them! You are the best! I know that I can take any of your recipes and hey will be delish!

Nurse Heidi said...

Glad to hear it, Kim :). Now move back, would you??