Peanut Butter And Chocolate Cookie Bars

This month's installment of the Secret Recipe Club has me visiting and perusing the recipes (and crafts) of Avril over at Baking and Creating With Avril.

I do believe that Avril and I are a lot alike.  We both like to cook, bake and craft and we both blog simply for the joy and sense of accomplishment it brings.

Avril has TONS of excellent sounding recipes on her blog so it took me awhile to decide which one to choose.  That is until I found this one.  In an instant I knew it was the one for me (well, not just me, I did share it)! 

I made only a few "minor" adaptations to Avril's original recipe.  I added chopped peanuts and milk chocolate chips to the batter. Mmmmm.  After all, they're "Two great tastes that go great together!"

PEANUT BUTTER AND CHOCOLATE COOKIE BARS
* denotes additions to the original recipe

1 1/2 sticks of butter, softened (I always use salted, just to be different :)
1/4 heaping cup of peanut butter  (I used a natural smooth but any brand or style will work).
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
*1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1 large egg,  room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1 cup chopped peanuts (I shelled and chopped them)
*1 cup milk chocolate chips

-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
-Line a 9" square baking dish with long parchment strips so that you can easily lift the bars out of the pan after baking. (see photo)

-In a medium bowl whisk together your flour, baking powder and salt.
-Using a stand mixer or hand held mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter, vanilla and coconut extract until light and fluffy.
-Add the egg and beat until combined.
-Stir in the flour mixture.
-Stir in the chopped peanuts and chocolate chips making sure they're incorporated well.
-Spread the mixture evenly into your prepared parchment lined pan.
-Bake for 30-35 minutes (or until the cookie bars are a wonderful golden brown)
-Cool for approximately 30 minutes and then remove the bars from the pan by lifting on the parchment paper strips.

-Slice the bars however you choose and serve.

These bars are incredibly moist with a super intense peanut butter flavor!  Yippee!  If you're a peanut butter lover like me, then this is a dessert your sweet dreams are made of!  After all, we all need to go a little nutty every now and then!  Thanks for the recipe Avril!