Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares #ChocPBDay


These rich chocolate peanut butter squares are like homemade peanut butter cups made easy, just a peanut butter and sugar base topped with dark chocolate. The chopped peanut butter-filled cookies are optional, but they add a nice crunch.  

     Today marks the initial celebration of the best day ever - it's Chocolate Peanut Butter Day! Hosted by Carla of Chocolate Moosey and Miriam of Overtime Cook, 31 bloggers are sharing favorite chocolate peanut butter recipes, ranging from cookies and bars to scones and muffins. Follow the hashtag #chocPBday on social media and join us with your favorite chocolate and peanut butter recipes. Looking for recipes all in one place? Follow our Pinterest board.

My very first real job, after I graduated from university, was my dream job, promoting a “product” I had benefited from since childhood and truly believed in, the Girl Scouts. In fact, I was a registered adult Girl Scout, working in the marketing and development department, which is a fancy way of saying promotion and fundraising. 

Among other responsibilities, my boss and I were in charge of the calendar and cookie sales for our Girl Scout council, based in Houston, but serving 26 Texas counties. As part of our promotion of the cookie sale my first year, we delivered boxes and boxes of cookies to Houston area chefs who had agreed to use them to create sweet recipes for an evening fundraising event.

Those days came back to me as I was making these chocolate peanut butter squares for Chocolate Peanut Butter Day and so I added some chopped Girl Scout peanut sandwich cookies to the tops. What’s better than peanut butter with chocolate on top? Peanut butter and chocolate with extra peanut butter cookies on top. They add a lovely crunch.

Ingredients
For the base:
1/4 cup or 50g brown sugar
1 2/3 cups or 200g icing sugar
1/3 cup or 75g unsalted butter
1 cup or 255g smooth peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

For the topping:
10 1/2 oz or 300g dark chocolate
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
 3 oz or 100g peanut butter-filled cookies 

Method
Mix all the ingredients for the base together. When I’ve made this before, I used my stand mixer and got a more homogeneous dough but I am in a rented house this week so I had to do it by hand. It worked but was much more crumbley. It still presses down nicely into a base and tastes the same, so don’t let that bother you. Use a mixer if you have one or a spoon and then your hands, if you don’t. It's kind of like a peanut butter shortbread. I know, right?! Mmmm, peanut butter shortbread. 



Chop your peanut butter-filled cookies roughly, if using, and set aside.



Line your square pan (about 9 in x 9 in or 23cm x 23cm) with parchment paper or foil. Press the base out evenly into the bottom of the lined pan.



In a microwaveable bowl, melt your chocolate and butter with a few short zaps of 20-30 seconds each, stirring well in between. Pour the melted chocolate on to your base and spread it around evenly, all the way to the edges.


Sprinkle the chocolate with the chopped cookies and press them down gently into the chocolate.


Refrigerate the pan until the chocolate is almost set. Cut into small squares. Enjoy!





If you love chocolate and peanut butter like we love chocolate and peanut butter, you are going to want to check out every single one of these recipe links:



A huge thank you to our sponsors! Be sure to follow them on social media:


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Three lucky winners will win one of the following:

Prize Pack #1: OXO Baking Tool Set: One 3-in-1 Egg Separator, One Bent Icing Knife, One Brownie Spatula, One Cake Tester, One Cookie Spatula, One Cupcake Icing Knife, One Cupcake Corer, One Egg Beater, One Stainless Steel Measuring Cups, One Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons, One Medium Cookie Scoop

Prize Pack #2: King Arthur Flour ingredients: One bag of all-purpose flour, one package of Guittard bittersweet chocolate disks, and one bottle of pure vanilla extract

Prize Pack #3: Peanut Butter and Co. package including: one Dark Chocolate Dreams 6-pack, One Variety 6-pack, and One 31 Days of Dark Chocolate Dreams cookbook

This giveaway is open to US residents only and winners will be picked from random draw.

Giveaway ends Monday March 31 at 11:59 PM. The winners will be notified via email and have 24 hours to respond. If not, the prize is forfeited and another winner will be chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***Disclaimer: This giveaway is being provided by OXO, King Arthur Flour and Peanut Butter & Co. #ChocPBDay bloggers have not received product or been compensated as a part of this giveaway.***


45 comments :

  1. Mmmmm! I am a dark chocolate girl and these are calling my name! Happy Chocolate & PB Day!

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  2. I'm not sure which I loved more, reading about your first job or your step by step pics.

    Ok, ok...truth be told it is the final dessert I love the most and I can't wait to make these bars...with the cookies, of course!

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  3. I think cutting into small squares is optional. Just give me the one giant bar and I'll start on one corner and work my way through to the end.

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  4. Yum! I think I could eat half the pan in one sitting! Or maybe the full pan... :)

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  5. These taste like homemade peanut butter cups???? SOLD!!!

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  6. oooh these bars look like the perfect treat-such an awesome recipe for chocpbday!

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  7. I love a chocolate peanut butter brownie

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  8. OMY! These look like heaven! I would be so all over that whole plate! Delicious looking chocolate peanut butter squares! I bet you could use Girl Scout Do Si Dos for this recipe too! YUM!

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  9. I'm not supposed to name brands because of our sponsors but let's just say mine came from some smart girls wearing colorful well-badged vests, Karen.

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  10. THIS, my friend, is known as the perfect snack. LOVE LOVE!

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  11. I love everything about these bars!

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  12. Stacyyyyyyyyyy - this is sooooo good. I love how simple it is, allowing all the flavours of the peanut butter and chocolate to come shining through. I would definitely add the crushed cookies on top cause I love that extra crunch. Perfection!

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  13. Stacy, these chocolate peanut butter squares look soooo good and love the crunchy peanut butter cookie topping. . I love no bake desserts and sweet treats!!! Pinned!

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  14. I love chocolate chip peanut butter cookies.

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  15. Probably Reese's. Can't beat the classic.

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  16. An adult Girl Scout? Love it! Great recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Day! Cheers!

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  17. Can't go wrong with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

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  18. These look so rich and sweet and crumbly... and I just love the chopped PB cookie topping!
    (As an aside, the Canadian Girl Guides carried peanut butter cookies ever-so-briefly when I was still participating. Much to my dismay, they eventually discontinued them, so today's girls are stuck with boring chocolate and vanilla sandwich cookies. Our Guides could learn a thing or two from your Girl Scouts when it comes to cookies!)

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  19. This would be a great Girl Scout cookie use wouldn't it? It looks so moist crumbly and yummy!

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  20. Cookie base on the bottom. Cookies on top. Swooning!

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  21. Dark chocolate is the BEST! I always use dark if there's a choice. :)

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  22. Thanks, Betsy! My motto is more is more so the cookies on top seemed like a great idea.

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  23. You are too funny, Renee! But you are also absolutely right. Totally optional!

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  24. They are pretty rich, Lisa, but with a cold glass of milk along side, you could give it a good try!

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  25. I don't know about snack but it is certainly the perfect sweet treat. :)

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  26. The extra crunch was a nice touch, Nancy.

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  27. I am always on the lookout for no-bake options for summer, Alice. It gets too hot where I live! Thanks for pinning!

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  28. One of my favorite treats too, Priscilla!

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  29. Everyone who works for the Girl Scouts has to be a registered member, along with the volunteers, even the troop leaders, etc. So I've been an adult scout for almost as many years as I was as a girl.

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  30. What a shame, Isabelle! Peanut butter is such a favorite on our side of the border. We even have two peanut butter cookies, one covered in chocolate. Maybe they weren't big sellers in the Canadian market?

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  31. Homemade peanut butter cups but made easier? And chopped up Girl Scout cookies? I think you just won my heart ;)

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  32. Amazing, I'm totally craving these now

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  33. Buckeye candy or peanut butter chocolate pie.

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  34. Oh my.... this looks wonderful!!!! Yum, two lots of peanut butter plus chocolate definitely gilds the lily in the best of ways! Ah Stace, I have missed so much goodness around here. I've had internet issues over the past few weeks but hopefully they are resolved now (I have a love/hate relationship with technology at the moment!). I would love to make these delicious squares. Loving the choc pb month goodness! x

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