Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Ratios Perfected! (no more trying to figure out how many
crackers equals exactly 1 cup of crumbs…)
Ingredients:
1 shrink-wrap package of graham crackers (you know... they come 3 to a box...)
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter
Heaping 1/2 cup of peanut butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1.
Unwrap the graham crackers and place in gallon
size ziplock bag. Crush with rolling pin.
2.
Place in medium bowl and add powdered sugar.
3.
In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt butter.
Stir peanut butter into melted butter with a fork to combine.
4.
Drizzle about 3/4 of the butter/peanut butter
over the crumbs and sugar. Stir until all is absorbed—it will still be pretty
powdery at this point. Then drizzle on the remaining butter mixture and it
should moisten the rest. (If you stir it all in at once, it absorbs too quickly
and remains crumbly. This method ensures all gets moistened).
5.
Press mixture into a square cake pan (8x8 or
9x9). Greasing the pan is not necessary.
6.
Melt chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring
every 30 seconds until completely melted. Do not overcook. (Might take a total of 3 or so minutes...but heck if I know. I [still] just have a crappy 700-watt microwave that fit dorm safety regulations in college...)
7.
Using a rubber spatula, spread the chocolate
over the peanut butter.
8.
Chill for at least 15 minutes for chocolate to
harden. Cut into bars.
9.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Tip: I like to melt the chocolate chips in
the same bowl I did the butter in so the chocolate gets a slightly salty
flavor. I also think it melts a little more uniformly.
Tip: if you like more chocolate for your
peanut butter, double the chocolate. I personally think the peanut butter crust
is the best part so I don’t like to mask it with too much chocolate.
Tip: This recipe can be easily doubled to
make a 9x13 pan of bars. 2 pkgs graham crackers, 2 ½ cups powdered sugar, 2
sticks butter, 1 1/4 cup peanut butter, and 1 cup chocolate chips.
