PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIE BARS

Ah the love of peanut butter! I never got into it myself, but everyone else in this family LOVES peanut butter. Did you know there is a National Peanut Butter Lover's Day in the United States? Canadians are not as weird as that or are they? The Canada Food Guide of yesteryears had a daily peanut butter intake, for some days even twice, which I never followed anyway. Even back then I knew it was hogwash. I wish now I kept an old issue for a laugh. But the love of peanut butter has been curbed, because more and more people are allergic to it. Olivia can’t take nuts [any nuts] to school anymore. Could it be that we overdosed on peanut butter? Hard to say, but the one thing is certain I would never miss the stuff if it disappeared for good. But since I cook to please even I will do the occasional peanut butter recipe.

Teeth? What about the roof of your mouth?

Peanuts was a syndicated comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz.

This yummy peanut butter recipe was adapted from the Brown Eyed Baker. I had a couple of bars myself, and I surprisingly enjoyed them when they first came out of the oven. This had to have been in no small part due to the quality of Adam’s, which is the brand of  peanut butter I use. It has no additives, no fillers and it actually tastes like roasted peanuts, which essentially what Adam’s is. All that Adam's contain is: peanuts. What does your peanut butter contain? The same with the chopped block chocolate I used. No brand of chocolate chip can come close to Callebaut. I can’t stress enough the importance of quality, use quality ingredients and they will always make the foods you make taste good. 

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIE BARS

1-1/2 cups flour 

1/2 tsp baking soda 

1/4 tsp salt 

3/4 cup brown sugar 

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter 

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 

1/2 cup sugar 

1 egg 

1 tsp pure vanilla extract 

1 cup good quality dark chocolate, chopped 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

• Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. 

• In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt and set it aside. 

• In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the brown sugar, peanut butter, butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy and light. 

• Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined. 

• Reduce the speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until the flour is just incorporated. 

• Add the chopped chocolate and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. 

• Transfer the mixture into the prepared pan and lightly press into an even layer. 

• Place in the preheated oven and bake for 16 to 20 minutes or until the center is set. 

• Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. 

• Cut into bars and store at room temperature in an airtight container.