Peanut Butter Bars
I have the hardest time resisting peanut butter. I like to eat it by the spoonfuls. Sometimes I will slather a bit of jam over it, other times I will top it with chocolate chips. Of course, the purist days are the ones where I just eat it as is.
Did you know that it was Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, founder of Kellogg’s cereal, who patented a process for creating peanut butter from raw nuts? I wonder what he would think of all of the many variations of peanut butter that have popped up since his invention back in 1895. There are some combinations that have been sold in stores through the years that I did not enjoy but as far as straight peanut butter goes, I am very happy with creamy or crunchy.
Last week I got into another peanut butter mood and decided to bake it into a dessert rather than eat it as a meal. I thought about adding in some goodies but realized that what I wanted more than anything was something that allowed peanut butter to shine on its very own.
Peanut Butter Bars will entice your taste buds and satisfy the peanut butter lover within. Of course, if you are feeling a tad frisky, by all means, add in some chocolate chips or raspberry jam. You can’t go wrong whichever way you bake them.
I hope you notice that gram measurements have been included in this recipe. When I first started Desserts Required I measured using only dry and liquid cups. In 2015, I started including ounces. Last week, I had an interesting dialogue with some of my Sunday Supper family members about which weight measurement is the most universal. Thanks to my expat friend, Stacy Livingston from Food Lust People Love, I learned that measuring ingredients by the gram is not only accurate but also the most universally accepted option.
Peanut Butter Bars | Print |
- 1½ cups (223 grams) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons (112 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (255 grams) peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
- 1 cup (246 grams) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (107 grams) sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1½ teaspoons (7 grams) vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 9" x 13" baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
- Cream the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and sugar together. Add the eggs, one at a time followed by the vanilla. Blend in the dry ingredients.
- Transfer the batter to the pan.
- Bake at 350° for 30 - 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.