Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Peanut Butter Bars



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I made these peanut butter bars for the nursing staff, but they never made it to the hospital. The bars were too crumbly to transport,  so, I sent them down the hill for my teen taste testers to sample.  They were gobbled up, and their mom asked for the recipe, so I know the cookies were a hit, at least with the younger set.  The cookies are very easy to make and the cranberries make them a bit unusual. When soaked and added to the batter, they taste like tiny pockets of jelly that have been folded into the cookie dough. There are no tricks or pitfalls associated with making these bars. The recipe was developed in the test kitchens of Better Homes and Gardens, so it has been thoroughly tested. They, however, caution against using natural peanut butter to make these bars. There are additives and emulsifiers in the commercial product that affect the taste and way the cookies bake. I have never had natural peanut butter break or separate when I cook with it, but I have found it to be less sweet than its commercial cousin. I suspect their  caution is based on one of those two factors. This is a cookie of substance and not one you'd want to serve with tea.  The bars, however, would be wonderful for a picnic or family movie night. I do hope those of you with children or grandchildren traipsing through the kitchen will give these a try. They will immortalize you name. Here's the recipe.

Peanut Butter Bars...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup boiling water
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped peanuts
2 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup chunky peanut butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Grease an 8 x8 x 2-inch baking pan; set aside. In a small bowl combine cranberries and water. Cover and let stand 20 minutes. Drain well.
2) In a large mixing bowl beat butter and 1/2 cup peanut butter with an electric mixer until well combined. Beat in brown sugar. Beat in flour on low speed (mixture will be crumbly). Stir in peanuts and drained cranberries. Reserve 1 cup of crumb mixture. Press remaining crumb mixture into bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 12 minutes.
3) Meanwhile, for filling, in a medium bowl beat cream cheese and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Add egg, 2/3 cup peanut butter, and lemon juice; beat until well combined. Spread evenly over crust. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture over top, pressing lightly into filling.
4) Bake about 25 minutes more or until top is lightly browned and edges are puffed. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Makes 16 bars.







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29 comments :

Ginny Hartzler said...

These would be so much better than those packaged ones in the store, better for your health, too!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing
I really like

Katarina said...

These look really tasty and delicious!

Lenia said...

A must try!I love peanut butter!
Greetings,dear Mary!

Coleens Recipes said...

I wonder if I can sneak in the cranberries...haha, picky picky husband adores all things peanut butter.

Veronica Miller said...

Wow, those do sound good!

Lynn said...

I"m sure the peanut butter bars were a big hit! I've saved the garlic rolls from three years ago, gonna try them out:@)

Kim said...

Yuuuuuuuuummmmm these bars looks awesome!

Cindy@NorthofWiarton said...

Mary, these sound heavenly ! I am out of Peanut Butter right now & the price for same have skyrocketed. I would love to share this to my Recipe Exchange, I hope this is fine for me to do so? There is snow in our air here this morning, can you imagine?

From the Kitchen said...

i can see one alongside a glass of cold milk.

still a one-finger typist here. hope Bob is doing well.

best,
bonnie

Unknown said...

Peanut butter and cream cheese... how can you go wrong?? :) These look fantastic, Mary! Thanks for sharing.

Claudia said...

My 20-somethings would gobble these up. Saving for when I want to surprise them!

Priya Suresh said...

Wow yummy bars, simply irresistible..

Tricia @ saving room for dessert said...

"tiny pockets of jelly that have been folded into the cookie dough" that is a beautiful thing. The title was enough for me. Love peanut butter and thanks for the tips about cooking with natural vs. commercial.

T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types said...

I do wish I were part of your group of tasters! This is the sort of cookie bar I could make tonight. I have quite a stash of peanut butter and dried fruits. Hope the Silver Fox is doing well.

Suzie said...

I bet my neighbor kids would love these. I bet my son would too :)

Dining Alone said...

These would be so perfect with a nice glass of milk, they look great!

David said...

Mary, Peanut butter bars with Cranberries. What a great concept! Nice change of pace from the normal desserts... Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

pam said...

These would be great for me to snack on at school!

Clint said...

As we say down south, "Ya done good, Mary!"

A PaixĂ£o da Isa said...

adorei tudo mas esses paesinhos humm super bons adorei vou ver se posso fazer pois ha coisas que eu nao compriendo la muito bem mas vou ver se faço um dia destes adorei estao 5* bjs

Baking Addict said...

I love peanut butter and these look amazing.

Margaret Murphy Tripp said...

Ooooh, those look great! They would be a hit around here...we love peanut butter!

D said...

Hello, Mary. I've been MIA for some time now and in my attempt to play some catch-up with my favorite foodies, I realize having missed Bob's surgery. We do hope he is recovering nicely.

Although we don't do much in the 'sweet' territory, the next time these crumble, I'll happily take them off your hands. ;)

Our best to you and Bob and good health.

Ana Regalado said...

Peanut butter and cream cheese really goes well together :D I've been eyeing the natural peanut butter in one of the specialty store here but the price's nearly triple compare to the regular one :P Now , if only I'm one of those testers , I'll be one happy camper ;D

Joanne said...

These are going to be quite popular with my taste buds, I can tell you that much!

Akila said...

Bars were too good.. Bookmarked... First time here n just love ur space... When u get time do visit mine

tender b. said...

Keep the peanut butter recipes coming. How sad it would be to have an allergy to that stuff.

Martha@ Simple Nourished Living said...

I'm a huge peanut butter fan, so these immediately caught my eye and have been bookmarked!

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