Peanut Butter-Oat Bars
James Carrier
Yields Makes 20 bars
Prep and Cook Time: about 1 hour. Notes: Peanut butter and chocolate top an oatmeal cookie base in this appealing bar cookie. The bars can be chilled for up to 2 days.

How to Make It

Step 1
1

In a bowl, mix butter and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in flour, oats, peanuts, and coconut until well blended.

Step 2
2

Press dough evenly into a buttered and floured 10- by 15-inch baking pan. For chewy bars, bake in a 350° oven until edges are lightly browned, about 20 minutes; for crisp bars, bake until slightly darker brown, about 5 minutes longer. Spread with peanut butter. Let cool about 15 minutes.

Step 3
3

Seal chocolate chips in a heavy 1-quart zip-lock plastic bag. Heat in a microwave oven at 30% power until chips are soft, about 2 minutes. Squeeze chocolate to one corner of bag, then use scissors to snip a very small hole in the corner. Squeeze chocolate in thin lines over peanut butter. Chill until the chocolate is firm, about 20 minutes. Cut into 20 bars.

Step 4
4

Note: Nutritional analysis is per bar.

Ingredients

 1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter, melted
 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
 2 cups all-purpose flour
 2 cups regular rolled oats
 2/3 cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts
 2/3 cup unsweetened shredded dried coconut
 1 1/3 cups peanut butter
 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Step 1
1

In a bowl, mix butter and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in flour, oats, peanuts, and coconut until well blended.

Step 2
2

Press dough evenly into a buttered and floured 10- by 15-inch baking pan. For chewy bars, bake in a 350° oven until edges are lightly browned, about 20 minutes; for crisp bars, bake until slightly darker brown, about 5 minutes longer. Spread with peanut butter. Let cool about 15 minutes.

Step 3
3

Seal chocolate chips in a heavy 1-quart zip-lock plastic bag. Heat in a microwave oven at 30% power until chips are soft, about 2 minutes. Squeeze chocolate to one corner of bag, then use scissors to snip a very small hole in the corner. Squeeze chocolate in thin lines over peanut butter. Chill until the chocolate is firm, about 20 minutes. Cut into 20 bars.

Step 4
4

Note: Nutritional analysis is per bar.

Peanut Butter-Oat Bars

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