Saturday Sweetness: Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars

I stumbled across these bar cookies on Pinterest.  I decided they were going on my must-make list right away.  So, on a Saturday afternoon a couple weeks ago, I made them.

All I can say to you is this – You need to make these.

Like now.

Go, get thee to the grocery store and get the ingredients if you don’t have them already.

Seriously.

These make great after-school and lunch snacks.  And because you’ve made them yourself, you know they only have real food in them, not a bunch of artificial junk.

And they’re deliciously addictive. It is hard to eat just one.

You’ve been warned.

(here’s the link to the original recipe)

Lunch Lady Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients

1 1/2 C All-Purpose Flour
1¼ tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Baking Soda
¾ C Butter
¾ C Sugar (I used Sucanat with Honey)
¾ C Brown Sugar (I used Sucanat)
1 ½ tsp. Vanilla
1 1/2 C Creamy Peanut Butter (split – I ended up using a whole jar of Peanut Butter)
2 Eggs
1 ½ C Quick Oats

Frosting:

½ C Butter (1 stick)
3 ½ C Powdered Sugar
(I used Sucanat with Honey and just “powdered” it in my blender)
2 T Cocoa
¼ C Milk (I used 1%)
1 tsp. Vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugars, 3/4 C peanut butter, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy.
4. Gradually add dry ingredients, just until incorporated.
5. Then, stir in the oats.
6. Spread onto a greased 11 x 15 Jelly Roll Pan (cookie sheet). (I used my Silpat mat and it worked great)
7. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes.
8. The frosting is a two step process.
9. First, whip the remaning ¾ C Creamy Peanut Butter until it becomes lighter colored and fluffy.
10. Carefully spread the whipped peanut butter over the pan cookie. (the cookie should still be warm so the PB will spread, but not melt)
11. Then, add butter to a small sauce pan and melt the butter.
12. Add the milk and cocoa.
13. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Heat just until boiling.
14. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
15. Then, gradually add the powdered sugar. Stir until thickened.
16. Pour over the peanut butter and gently spread over the cookie.
17. Cool completely, and slice into bar cookies.

And devour them like you’re the Cookie Monster

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