Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

When I was a teenager, I remember my mom making some chocolate peanut butter bars one time.  And honestly, the thought crosses my mind, wondering if that was a really good thing, or a really bad thing.  Why?  Because I ate the whole batch.  In two days.  In fact, that may have sparked an argument between my dad and me because he went looking for one…and they were all gone.  It wasn’t me.  It was the dog.  Or my friend across the street.  Or my mom.  Or, maybe HE was the culprit and ate them so quickly that he forgot it was him.  Unfortunately, I had the tummy ache as evidence from wolfing them all down…but it was so worth it, and I ended up finding myself in the kitchen the night after I made them this time, pulling “just one more” out to eat.  Some things never change…but at least I didn’t eat the whole batch.

And since my family is a bunch of peanut butter fanatics, the situation presented itself perfectly when they were all coming over for lunch.  As my brother was eating one of the Crescent Roll Mozzarella Sticks, I warned him to save room for these bad boys.  He rolled his eyes and sighed, then said, “You know, I feel like Hansel coming over to your house because you keep trying to fatten us up.  Are you planning to cook us?”  I laughed.  That may have been the funniest analogy I’ve heard.  I cackled at him and said, “Yes.  You have figured out my plan.  Now, eat.”

For the Peanut Butter Layer:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 3/4 cups powdered sugar

1 cup smooth peanut butter

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

Line an 8×8 inch square pan with foil, leaving enough to hang over the sides, then butter the foil.  Set aside.  In a medium saucepan, melt the 1/2 cup of butter over low heat.  Once melted, remove from heat and stir in the powdered sugar until smooth.  Stir in the peanut butter and graham cracker crumbs until completely combined and smooth.  Spread the peanut butter mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

For the Chocolate Layer:

1 cup semisweet chips

1/4 cup unsalted butter

In the empty saucepan, melt the 1/4 cup butter.  Add the chocolate and stir until almost completely melted.  Remove from heat and continue stirring until completely melted.  Pour the melted chocolate over the peanut butter layer and smooth into an even layer.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set.  Remove from the pan using the foil overhangs and place on a cutting boat.  Use a knife or pizza cutter to slice into 16 bars.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Original recipe borrowed from browneyedbaker.com, but I added some more chocolate for a thicker top layer, and used semisweet chocolate instead of milk chocolate.