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today of all days

April 11 2010 by Kristin at The Kitchen Sink in Uncategorized » 34 comments

It’s entirely fitting that I post this recipe today of all days. Today is Kevin’s birthday and if I know one thing about the man, it’s that he loves the magical combination of peanut butter and chocolate. He’ll take it in a variety of ways, showing no great preference for the complicated (a chocolate-lined peanut butter pie, which, as it happens, will be served tonight, a flickering candle set in its middle; multi-layered brownies; chocolate-enrobed peanut butter balls) over the simple (a spoonful of peanut butter adorned with bittersweet chips; a square of chocolate spread with a thin smear of peanut butter).

This recipe falls somewhere in the middle of the complicated-to-simple continuum. It’s got the stripped down qualities similar to the straight-up chips-and-peanut butter concoctions. Indeed, the ingredient list calls for little else beyond peanut butter and chocolate—a mere handful of additional ingredients. But the end-result lends the appearance of a more complicated confection—a stout little square, dense, cakey and incredibly peanut-buttery, set beneath a thick band of chocolate.

My penchant for bars (see this post for further explanation) and Kevin’s adoration of the bars’ co-starring ingredients have created a rather dangerous situation. Friends: we’ve made these bars two weeks in a row. Ahem. We’ve gone a little bit crazy for them. Given that they grew out of a peanut butter cookie recipe we’ve relied on heavily for the past year, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.

The underlying recipe comes from 101 Cookbooks and you see my take on it here. In this new iteration, I’ve followed the original recipe up to the point of shaping the cookies and branding them with a trademark cross-hatch. At that point, you press the dough into a greased-and-lined pan and slide it into the oven. Now, I must admit that I do miss the cross-hatches, one of my favorite features of a peanut butter cookie. But, what these bars lack in cross-hatching, they make up for (generously) in chocolate. Which is obviously a fair trade.

For the chocolate layer, I’ll have you dispense with ganaches and double-boilers. Instead, I’ll take a cue from the Minnesota bar recipes of my youth (again, more on that here). It’s this: as the final minutes on the oven timer tick down, open up a bag of chocolate chips (preferably bittersweet). Then, when the bars emerge from the oven, browned at the edges and very hot, scatter the chips over the bars. Let them sit for a few minutes until they look good and melty, which is your signal that they’ll yield to an offset spatula with ease, spreading into the easiest chocolate topping you can imagine.

Let the chocolate set up and slice them into squares. Then, today at least, raise a square to the birthday boy.

Also: It’s spring! Which means I’ve got asparagus on the brain (to, you know, counteract all the chocolate-covered peanut butter bars). For asparagus-y and other seasonal recipes, check out the new Spring Recipe Index.

Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter Bars
Adapted from Heidi Swanson’s Recipe at 101 Cookbooks

Yield: about 30 small bars

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 cup natural, smooth peanut butter
1 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12-ounce bag of bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Grease an 8-inch square cake pan. Line the pan with a strip of parchment paper, allowing the edges to hang over the sides of the pan. Grease the parchment paper.

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate larger bowl whisk together the peanut butter, maple syrup, olive oil, and vanilla. Pour the flour mixture over the peanut butter mixture and stir until barely combined – still a bit dusty looking. Let sit for five minutes, give one more quick stir, just a stroke or two.

Press the dough into the prepared pan, using your fingertips or the bottom of a measuring cup to flatten the surface and create an even layer of dough. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the bars begin to brown at the edges and are set. (Err on the side of under-baking here for a chewier almost fudge-y texture; otherwise, the bars can dry out and become a bit crumbly.)

As soon as you remove the bars from the oven, set the bars (in their pan) on a cooling rack. Scatter the chips on top of the bars and let stand for several minutes, until the chocolate chips have begun to melt. Using a small offset spatula or a butter knife, spread the melted chips into a smooth, even topping.

Let the bars cool completely in their pan until the chocolate has become firm. Using the overhanging parchment paper like a set of “handles,” lift the bars out of the pan and, using a very sharp knife, slice into bars. Store the bars in an airtight container. I like to keep them in the fridge, but if you do so, allow them to warm a bit at room temperature before serving (so the chocolate layer is not too hard).

34 comments so far. »
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Whitney says on April 11 2010 at 5:47 am:

Happy Birthday Kevin! It sounds like you need to pick up a jar of Dark Chocolate Dreams from him at WFs…sounds right up his alley.

I hope you got out and about yesterday since it was so very, very beautiful.

http://ilovepeanutbutter.com/index.php/peanutbutter/peanut-butter/darkchocolatedreams.html
Jessica says on April 11 2010 at 6:05 am:

Who doesn’t love peanut butter and chocolate?! It is a magical combination, I swear. Happy birthday to him!
Lindsay says on April 11 2010 at 6:51 am:

Today is my birthday, and I love a good chocolate-peanut butter combo too! Must be an aries thing This recipe looks so delicious.
Rose-Anne says on April 11 2010 at 7:29 am:

Oof, now I’m conflicted! I wanted to make a version of your blueberry bars (with blueberries AND strawberries–yum!), but now I want peanut butter bars too. Or peanut butter cookies with sturdy crosshatches. Maybe I’ll have to roll a die to pick a winner!

Happy birthday to Kevin! Lucky man!
Tracey says on April 11 2010 at 8:18 am:

Happy Birthday to Kevin – these look like a fantastic birthday treat!! My husband loves the peanut butter and chocolate combo too so I’ll definitely give this one a go the next time he requests something
Half Assed Kitchen says on April 11 2010 at 8:26 am:

Those look divine. HBD Kitchen’s Sink’s husband!
vanillasugar says on April 11 2010 at 8:28 am:

i just love the contrast of colors in these bars….they make such great photos.
Katie says on April 11 2010 at 8:39 am:

Chocolate and peanut butter. Yum. Reminds me of Reese’s peanut butter bars.
Stacie says on April 11 2010 at 11:27 am:

I love recipes with whole wheat flour – thanks for sharing this one!
Emily says on April 11 2010 at 6:43 pm:

Peanut butter bars and chocolate? It’s a dream come true! These look delicious. I’ll definitely be using that chocolate spreading idea in the future, very clever!
Molly says on April 11 2010 at 11:57 pm:

Happy happy birthday, Kev! Hope you guys had a great weekend celebrating. Miss you!!
kate says on April 12 2010 at 6:13 am:

As soon as I saw the photo I thought “Peanut Butter Fingers!!” as that was a magical delicious bar recipe (yes, bars.) that I loved as a kid. Heidi’s recipe is very similar and the most perfect and fitting end to them was the same chips layer melted over the top. I loved how it cooled nice and firm, sometimes breaking into chunks when you bit into a thick peanut buttery bar. I think baking a pan of these, in honor of Kevin’s birthday, would be wonderful for today. Thanks for the inspiration.
Vanessa says on April 12 2010 at 9:30 am:

Have you made Kevin the peanut butter chocolate crispy squares out of the Baked cookbook? They are highly addicting and incredible. Just a thought.
Rebecca says on April 12 2010 at 9:38 am:

The two best flavor combinations ever! Thank you! Making these STAT!
gastroanthropologist says on April 12 2010 at 11:57 am:

Sold. I’m making these tonight. I have everything (well, I’ve got crunchy pb instead of smooth) so I’m good to go. Got something else that’s coming out of the oven soon so even that’s preheated. chocolate + peanut butter the best match ever made in heaven.
Dawn (KitchenTravels) says on April 12 2010 at 1:59 pm:

Kevin is a man after my own heart. (If it wasn’t already taken, of course.) Spoonful of peanut butter with a few chocolate chips on top? One of my favorite “desserts.”
ingrid says on April 12 2010 at 7:58 pm:

Oddly enought the only time I like chocolate or PB is when they are together. On their own they just don’t do anything for me.

For me bars are a no brainer…I don’t like baking cookies at all!
~ingrid
joanser says on April 13 2010 at 3:48 am:

Kristin, I think your blog is just great. I am always enticed by your lovely photos and intrigued by the food. Thank you! Keep up the good work.
Barbara says on April 13 2010 at 8:19 am:

I’m much more a bar person than a cookie person. (that doesn’t sound right, but you know what I mean)
And this one, with a pb cc combo is divine! You guys sound hooked on it, so I guess I better give it a try!
Maddie says on April 13 2010 at 9:22 am:

Happy (belated) birthday, Kevin! Kristin, these look delicious. My favorite turtle bar recipe calls for the exact same chocolate-chip top layer. It’s an underused technique: simply delicious, and fun to prepare! This looks like a great recipe to make for someone special.
Sara Kopple says on April 14 2010 at 11:58 am:

Yum! Kristen–this sounds amazing. My boyfriend’s birthday is this weekend,and I think this is just the birthday cake for him. Hope Kevin enjoyed, pass on a hug.
Andrea [bella eats] says on April 14 2010 at 12:58 pm:

Oh Yum! These look so decadent and fabulous. A very happy (belated) birthday to Kevin!
Anne says on April 14 2010 at 1:03 pm:

The hardest part for me is making the dough. If you could get good dough, you are half way there. This is a great recipe.
Alissa says on April 16 2010 at 12:42 am:

This looks incredibly good! I love peanut butter at the moment…can’t seem to get enough of it, so these are perfect
Barbara says on April 17 2010 at 10:03 am:

I became weather-addicted when my husband was in the Air Force and learning to fly. He took a course in it and I helped him study. I was hooked. I’m one of the few people I know who actually WATCHES the Weather Channel!

Well, our spring is well in hand and on the way to being summer. And my kids gave me an ice cream machine at Christmas so I am using it tomorrow for the first time to make some rhubarb ice cream. Your brown sugar ice cream ought to be a hit as well. Copying now! I’m getting very excited about my new toy!
Jessica @ The Cooking Chick says on April 17 2010 at 4:49 pm:

Peanut butter and chocolate – I think these two go together better than PB&J. Thanks for sharing this one!
Ash says on April 20 2010 at 1:15 pm:

I totally NEED to make this!! look so Yum, and who can’t resist for chocolate and peanut butter!
Kristin at The Kitchen Sink says on April 20 2010 at 7:40 pm:

Thanks, everyone (on Kevin’s behalf, too!)!
grandma says on April 21 2010 at 7:53 am:

I copied this one down too I is si much easier than the cookies. grandpa is in town getting a new tiller. he worked on it for a week and still no go. It is vcold here today I was going to water but to cold We have not had rain since grandpabirthday. love you grandmaaa
Esther says on April 21 2010 at 10:38 am:

I love your bird’s eye view pictures. And I need to try these. Now..
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars « A Sarcastic Appetite says on April 25 2010 at 2:11 pm:

[...] about 20 brownies…or fewer, depending on how you cut them. Adapted from this recipe at The Kitchen Sink, who adapted it from Heidi Swanson’s recipe for Peanut Butter [...]
Kristin at The Kitchen Sink says on April 26 2010 at 6:41 pm:

grandma: Hello! I can’t believe you haven’t had rain since February! Stay warm up there. xo.

Esther: Thanks! I find a chair (to stand on) is helpful. : )
Ames says on May 07 2010 at 9:32 pm:

I had made Heidi’s PB cookies last summer (I think) but your variation is amazing!!! I have eaten way too much of it…
Malin says on December 22 2010 at 4:54 am:

Made these today. Lovely! I absolutely adore them! I’m definitely going to make them again Thank you