Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookie Bars
Serves 1
15 mins prep
30 mins cook
45 mins total
If you like big, bold, unabashed peanut butter flavor with rich, buttery undertones, you’re going to love these. There’s a layer of creamy peanut butter fudge sandwiched between peanut butter cookie bars. The base layer is extremely soft and moist with while the top layer has more texture. There’s a slight salty-and-sweet vibe, too. The cookie dough is saltier while the peanut butter fudge layer is sweeter, and it’s a great contrast to bite into, both in terms of texture and flavor. The bars are hearty, dense, rich, and if you’re having peanut butter cravings, they’ll be squelched in no time.
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Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
In a large, microwave-safe bowl melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don’t scramble it. Add the egg, brown sugar, peanut butter, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
Add the flour, optional salt, and stir until just combined, don’t overmix.
Add 3/4 cup peanut butter chips and stir to combine, don’t overmix or they’ll start to melt.
Turn between two-thirds and three-quarters of the dough out into prepared pan, smoothing it with a spatula to form a crust; reserve remainder and set aside.
In a medium microwave-safe bowl, add the remaining 1 cup peanut butter chips, pour sweetened condensed milk over the top, and heat on high power until the chips melt and mixture can be stirred smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes total, but stop to check and stir every 30 seconds so mixture doesn’t scorch.
Evenly pour peanut butter mixture over crust, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula. Work somewhat quickly because mixture begins to set up after a couple minutes.
Evenly crumble the reserved peanut butter dough over the top. I find it easiest to make heaping 1-tablespoon-sized ‘blobs’, and after all the blobs are in the pan, smoosh and smooth them together with a spatula. The entire surface will barely be covered and there will be some gaps.
Bake for about 27 to 29 minutes, or until top is just set; it should be very pale in color for soft bars and the darker it gets, the more crumbly the bars become. Allow bars to cool in pan for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving. Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.