Peanut Butter and Chocolate Bliss

I was ogling the beautiful and delicious looking food on foodgawker.com the other day (by the way...one of MY recipes was just featured on that website!) and I saw a picture of the most incredible looking peanut butter and chocolate bars. And since I my opinion is that peanut butter and chocolate is pretty much the best type of sweet combination I could ever wish to eat, I was so very excited to try the recipe. It is not a baking kind of recipe, it is simply a mixing, pressing into a pan, and licking the spoon kind of recipe, which every cook should have in her arsenal of quick desserts, just in case an emergency should strike....like friends dropping by...or PMS.

They taste very much like the all-too-easy-to-devour peanut butter balls that my friend Beth and her mom make each Christmas. Containing mostly sugar, sugar and peanut butter, and of course, chocolate, these treats won't last long in my house. I think I will hide them from the kids in the freezer after tonight. I'll bet they would taste really good frozen....

Here is the link to the original recipe from the Homesteading Housewife. My recipe is much like hers with some slight modifications.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

makes 12

1/2 C graham cracker crumbs (or oat cereal crumbs...I used Barbara's Shredded Oat Squares)

2 1/2 C powdered sugar

2 C crunchy peanut butter

1 t vanilla

1/2 C brown sugar

1 stick of butter, melted

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Press into a greased and parchment lined 8x8 inch pan.

For topping: Melt half a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 C) with 2 T smooth peanut butter in the microwave for in 30 second increments stirring well between each one. (It usually takes about 1 1/2 minutes. Pour over the top of peanut butter mixture in pan and spread evenly. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until chocolate has hardened. Let sit at room temp for 15 minutes, then cut into 12 squares.