Peanut Butter Bars aka. Sorry I Missed I Love Reeses Day

If you could pick any candy bar in the world, but you could only have one for the rest of your life, what would it be? I mean, there are so many! How could you choose just one? Cookies and Cream bars, Rolos, Milk duds, Skor, Snickers, the list just goes on and on. Presuming you eat cholov stam and you know what I'm talking about. But truth is I have always had one love when it came to candy bars. Back in the day when I stopped at CVS on the way home from school, (or not so on the way home from anywhere actually because I would go out of my way to get there and look at all the nail polish collections they had on sale) I always knew if I only had $1.59 in my pocket after all my ridiculous purchases it was going toward a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup. Sometimes I would switch it up a little bit and get a BIG cup, sometimes, even though I didn't celebrate the holiday I would rebeliously choose the Easter egg or X-mas tree. It's weird that those never tasted as good. Not because of anything heebie jeebie or whatever. Just cause the ratio of peanut butter to chocolate was off. 

But if we're talking ratios here I'd like to bring up the genius that is the Reese's mini. Okay, the concept is great and all but that isn't what impresses me the most. It's that perfect ratio of peanut butter to chocolate in your mouth all at once. That first time I took a bite and I was like, "Let the fat lady sing because it is OVA!" Or something like that.  

I've made my own peanut butter cups before. Truth is they are pretty easy to make and also super delish. But you can't exactly end a meal and be like, "one peanut butter cup for you, and one for you. Don't eat it all at once!" Cause that my friends, is called finageling people from their dessert. You don't want to do that, ever. It makes people angry. No matter how much they like peanut butter cups

That's where these guys come in. These beautiful bars have all the great taste of a peanut butter cup but they can be sliced in any size! This will make your family and friends happy with their dessert portions. It also has the added jazz of crunchy sugar and salt on top. So now it's fancy. You might think I'm joking about serving this for dessert but I'm not. I never joke when it comes to peanut butter cups. Unless I say I'm sharing mine with you. Then you know I'm joking. I never share my peanut butter cups. 

As an avid peanut butter cup fan, I am totally baffled at myself that I missed I love Reese's peanut butter cup day on May 18th. I apologize. To you, to me, to every person who loves Reese's peanut butter cups. I hope this recipe makes up for it.  

Thanks to Half Baked Harvest for the base recipe!

Ingredients

1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick), softened

1 1/2 cups + 4 tablespoons creamy peanut butter, divided

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1-2 cups powdered sugar (I only used one)

3 cups semi sweet chocolate chips, divided

Maldon salt flakes (or other flaky sea salt) for sprinkling

Demera sugar or other raw sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

Line an 8x8 inch square brownie pan with parchment paper.

Place 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips and 2 tablespoon peanut butter in a small sauce pan. Heat over low heat, stirring often until melted and smooth. Alternately, you can do this in the microwave on 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until melted and smooth. Pour the chocolate mixture into the prepared pan and tap against the counter until the chocolate is in a smooth and even layer. Cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to harden.

Meanwhile, add the stick of softened butter, 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter, 2 tsps. vanilla and 1 cup powdered sugar to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until smooth and creamy. Taste and add more powdered sugar to your liking.

Spoon the peanut butter mixture over the chocolate layer into a smooth layer. Place back in the fridge.

Place the remaining 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips and remaining 2 tablespoons peanut butter in a small sauce pan. Heat over low heat, stirring often until melted and smooth. Again, alternately, you can do this in the microwave on 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until melted and smooth. Pour the chocolate mixture over the peanut butter layer, smooth the chocolate out into an even layer. Sprinkle the top with the raw sugar and sea salt flakes. Cover and place in the fridge for 1-2 hours or until ready to serve. Slice into bars and keep refrigerated.