Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Once again, peanut butter and chocolate join forces to create an amazingly delicious dessert. This is a wonderful no-bake recipe I found in one of my favorite cookbooks: How to Be a Domestic Goddess. Although this is a recipe found under the section “for kids,” I wasn’t able to find an adult who found these bars to be too childish. In fact, it was a good thing there was a lot of dancing at the party I brought these to, because they is a bit sugary, and dancing off the slight sugar high was very fulfilling. I put it together the day before I was to serve it, and it stayed fresh in the refrigerator, waiting to be served. I also cut these as small as possible, because in addition to being quite sweet, these are pretty rich – unsurprising, given the ingredients. Still, they were a hit with everyone who tried them, and I especially loved how the creamy peanut butter base went with the hardened chocolate topping: just like a peanut butter cup!


Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
Courtesy of How to Be a Domestic Goddess

Ingredients:
For the base –
¼ cup dark brown sugar
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
For the topping –
7 oz. milk chocolate
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Directions:
1. For the base – blend all of the ingredients together in a bowl with an electric mixer. Combine until smooth. Press the mixture into a greased 9 in. square baking pan.
2. For the topping – melt the chocolates and butter together in a double boiler. Immediately spread onto the base.
3. Place in the refrigerator to set. When cool, cut into small squares.