There’s an Instagram reel that has been fed into my algorithm approximately 700 times, and it’s for these sugar cookie bars that look very tasty. But, I’ve gone to their website, and they do not have the recipe posted! I believe they have some sort of paid subscription thing in order to get access to their recipes? But the site seems sketchy, so… I just made up my own recipe. Chocolate PB Cookie Bars
I also changed it to be chocolate and peanut butter too, because it seemed like a pretty flexible style of recipe! It’s a cookie base, ganache, and frosting. There’s a lot of options for a recipe like this, and I’ll probably keep thinking of different variations. But chocolate and peanut butter is a good ol’ reliable combination, as we know.
And since chocolate and peanut butter is so reliable, it goes without saying that these were very solid! Basically a peanut butter version of millionaire bars. The cookie wasn’t quite shortbread, and the caramel was replaced with peanut butter ganache. And the chocolate became chocolate frosting. So I guess everything was different. But the same idea is there!
This could become an old reliable format of recipe, just like those frosted sugar cookies. There’s a lot of options for it, just about as many as the sugar cookies. Different frostings… different ganaches… We shall see!
I made these to bring into work, because I realized I’ve only got two more weeks (now only one!) to pawn off baked goods to my coworkers who never speak to me! I’ll have to scope out how many people are around at my new job, and whether they’ll be receptive to desserts. I’m hoping they will be. Maybe I’ll even tell them that it’s me who makes them. But until then… better take advantage of all those bona fide strangers I work with now!
Print
Print
PinIngredients
Sugar Cookie Bars
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla powder
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- Granulated sugar for the top
Peanut Butter Ganache
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
Chocolate Frosting
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- Pinch salt
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tablespoon whole milk
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 2 tbsp Chocolate Ovaltine powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and line a 9×9″ pan with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a handheld electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on high speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix to combine. Add the flour, salt, and baking soda, and mix until just combined.
- Transfer the cookie dough to the prepared pan, and spread out into an even layer using an offset spatula.
- Sprinkle the top of the cookie bars with granulated sugar if desired.
- Bake the sugar cookie bars for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are lightly golden brown on the tops and the center looks set. They will crinkle a little around the edges of the pan and the cookie bars will deflate slightly when removed from the oven.
- Remove the cookie bars from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
- While they’re cooling, prepare the peanut butter ganache. Heat the heavy cream in 30 second increments in the microwave until warm. Pour over the white chocolate and peanut butter, and stir slowly until melted, smooth, and well incorporated.
- Pour the peanut butter ganache over the top of the sugar cookie bars, and place in the fridge for it to set.
- Make the frosting: Cream together butter, cocoa powder and salt. Butter mixture will be very thick. Turn off the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add powdered sugar. Turn mixer on low and mix in powdered sugar while adding milk and vanilla extract. As the sugar incorporates, raise the speed of the mixer to beat the frosting. Beat until smooth, about 1 minute.
- In a 2 cup measuring glass, stir together heavy cream and Ovaltine. Turn mixer speed to medium and pour half of the cream mixture into frosting in a slow, steady stream. Stop the mister scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add remaining cream mixture or until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Beat until soft and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Once the ganache is cool and firm, and frost with the chocolate frosting. Slice and serve.