Easy Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Bars

Okay, so I have made it my mission to start baking more often... or rather, my cravings dictate that I bake more often ;-) These days, it is rare that we don't have something sweet in the apartment, and if we are going to indulge, I feel much better about making/eating homemade goodies.  That way, I can control exactly what goes into them, and into me and my husband :-)  So, this afternoon I decided to search for ways I could use up some off-brand peanut butter cups (I wouldn't usually buy them, but they happened to be free with a coupon at our local grocery store). The recipe I found hails from the magazine Real Simple and is, well, simple, for lack of a better word!

The original recipe is for peanut butter cup cookies, but I decided to make cookie bars.  The truth is that I have always dreaded the process of making cookies.  I am usually the one standing in the kitchen babysitting batch after batch while everyone else (or just my husband) gets to enjoy eating the cookies while they are still warm and delicious.  Solution?! Make bars instead!

Here's what I did...

Easy Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Bars

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temp.
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (recipe called for 3/4 cup, but 1/2 cup adds plenty of sweetness!)
1 egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
15 mini peanut butter cup candies, coarsely chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease/spray the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.

In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugars.

Then beat in the egg and vanilla.

Stir the flour mixture into the butter and sugar mixture until well combined, then fold the peanut butter cups into the batter.

Press the cookie dough into the bottom of the prepared pan using your fingertips.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown.  Cool at least 15 minutes before slicing.

These cookie bars are the perfect combination of crunchy and chewy, and had just the right amount of sweetness, with a tasty piece of pb cup in every bite.  Enjoy... with a glass of milk if you prefer :-)  

Librarian turned Foodie