I must be on a peanut butter and chocolate baking kick lately. Or maybe I always have been? Anyway, if you’re a fan of peanut butter cookies, cookie bars, and chocolate, these bars are for you. That’s right – no fancy introduction needed for these bad boys. Just make them for the peanut butter cookie lover in your life and I promise he or she won’t be disappointed!

Peanut Butter Heath Bar Blondies (from my Magnolia cookbook)

Here’s what you need:

For the cookie bars: 

• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter
• 2 3/4 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temp. (I used Egg Beaters because that’s what I had on hand and they came out fine!)
• 2 Tbs vanilla
• 3 cups self-rising flour

For the topping:

• 1 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup  coarsely Heath bar bites (they sell them with the chocolate chips)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped unsalted peanuts

Here’s what you do:

1. Preheat your oven to 325 and grease a 12 x 18 jelly roll pan.
2. Beat butter and peanut butter until fluffy.  Add in the sugar & mix until smooth.
3. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat thoroughly.
4. Gradually add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and mixing well after each admission. Mix until well incorporated.
5. Spread batter evenly in pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until edges start to brown.  Cool to room temp.
6. Make the topping: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the peanut butter chips and the cream until smooth.  Pour the mixture over cooled blondies.  Sprinkle with heath bar and peanuts.

Variations: I also made some with semi-sweetened chocolate chips melted (instead of peanut butter, as well as chopped up peanut butter cup (instead of Heath bar bites)

Some questions for you:

• Are there any nut butters you don’t like? Which have you tried? I’ve never tried cashew butter! But I do like peanut butter, sunflower butter (or sunbutter) and almond butter. And cookie butter – does that count as a nut?
• What other topping would you put on these bars besides peanut butter or chocolate? I’m wondering how white chocolate would taste. I know I would like them (I like white chocolate Reese’s!) but not sure how others may enjoy them.
• What’s a new cookie bar recipe you’ve tried recently? I need some new ones to try!