Yesterday I had an unexpected opening in my day, so I decided to do one of my favorite things right now...bake sweet treats for my lover. I've been trying to send him homemade baked goods every week or two. I'm intent on mixing it up, rather than sticking with my fave chocolate chip cookies. If I only made those I would end of eating half the batch before I ever mailed them. I'm a sucker for chocolate chip cookies! And they certainly won't help me reach my OFB goals.
Digging through my arsenal of baking supplies, I decided this week I would go the peanut butter route. I should mention that I despise peanut butter since it gives me a headache. However, my lover, like most men, can't get enough of peanut butter, and I had a jar of peanut butter and bag of mini Reese's peanut butter cups that were taking up space in my kitchen.
After playing around with a few ideas, I decided to make my version of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Bar....thick & chewy, packed full of peanut butter flavor. I posted a pic of the final product on my Instagram, and as per the request of one of you fabulous chickadees, I've decided to share the recipe for any of you who might be interested.
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Bars
2 1/8 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks of butter, melted & cooled for a few minutes
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy (or chunky if you're feeling wild!)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk
1 (8oz.) bag Reese's mini peanut butter cups, halved or left whole (YES, the whole bag! Don't skimp!)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Take a 13"x9" baking dish and line with parchment paper or foil leaving an over hang so that you can life the bars out upon completion. I prefer parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper/foil with cooking spray.
In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda, & salt. Set aside. In a second bowl, combine the butter & sugars until smooth. Mix in peanut butter, followed by the vanilla, whole egg, then egg yolk. Make sure each ingredient is fully incorporated before adding the next ingredient. Add in the flour mixture. The batter will be thick. Finally fold in the Reese's PB cups. I tend to keep my Reese's frozen before mixing them in and use a rubber spatula to fold them in.
Transfer the batter into the prepped baking dish, using a spatula to evenly spread the batter to all sides & corners of the dish. Press a few remaining Reese's peanut butter cups into the top. Bake for 28-35 minutes, until golden brown on top. My oven is very temperamental, thus the varying baking time. Check at the 28 minute mark, and if the middle is too soft & it needs longer, check every 3 minutes keeping an eye on the edges...don't want to burn your delicious creation.
Remove the pan from the oven and let cool completely before removing the bars. If you try lifting it out of the pan too soon, it will fold in half since the middle will still be semi-soft when you take it out of the oven. Cut into squares and serve.
And there you have it! Easy peasy Reese's peanut butter cup cookie bars for all of you peanut butter lovers out there. If you decide to make these, I would love to hear about it!
Happy baking!
