This is gonna be the one you make when you want to be *that girl.* You know the one.  The one about which they say, “Oh my gosh, she made ‘those cookie bars.'”

This is my new favorite thing.  I made it to bring to a friend’s house recently and the consensus was, “These are darn good cookie bars.”

At first you think, this is going to be too rich…aaaaand then you take the first bite.  I don’t even know how to describe how the caramel/peanut butter center oozes out of the edges and onto your tastebuds.  And then you taste the cookie’s chewiness that surrounds the sweet perfection.  Seriously.  The real problem is trying not to eat the whole pan.

Sure there are a few steps.  Who the heck cares.  Make the dessert.

Begin by making the cookie batter.  Cream 1 c. softened butter

with 3/4 c. sugar

and 3/4 c. brown sugar.

Add in 2 eggs and mix

and then 1 tsp. vanilla.

Mix the following dry ingredients:

2 1/4 c. flour,

1 tsp. baking soda,

1 tsp. salt.

Add to the butter mixture.  And stir in 2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Spread half of the cookie dough into a buttered 9×13″ pan and bake for 10-15 minutes or until just barely golden brown in a preheated 375 degree oven.

While the cookie dough is baking, unwrap 14-16 oz. of caramels and put them into a double boiler* with 5 oz. of milk.  The original recipe calls for evaporated, but I used whole milk.

When they have melted beautifully add in 1/2 c. peanut butter and stir to smooth deliciousness.

Pour the caramel/peanut butter mixture over the warm cookie dough and then drop the remaining cookie dough on top of the caramel.  I took out a couple tablespoonfuls at a time and flattened them with my fingers to spread the dough out as much as possible and get it to cover more surface area.

Bake the whole thing for 20-25 minutes or until the dough is golden brown.  Let cool.

 *I don’t have a true double boiler so I use a glass bowl for my ingredients and then set it into a saucepan that has several inches of water in it.  Turn the burner up pretty high to get the water to boil.  This prevents the items you are trying to melt from heating up too fast and scorching or seizing.

Those Cookie Bars

 

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Prep time

40 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

A Caramel/peanut butter center oozes out of the edges and onto your tastebuds. And then you taste the cookie's chewiness that surrounds the sweet perfection. These cookie bars will make you famous.

Alison: That Which Nourishes

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 15-18 bars

Grocery List

• 1 c. butter
• ¾ c. sugar
• ¾ c. brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2¼ c. flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 14-16 oz. caramels
• 5 oz. milk (evaporated or whole)
• ½ c. peanut butter

Here's how...

1. To make the cookie batter, begin by creaming the butter and sugar.
2. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture.
5. Stir in chocolate chips.
6. Spread half of the dough into a buttered 9x13" baking dish and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until barely golden brown.
7. Unwrap the caramels and put them into a double boiler with 5 oz. of milk. When melted, stir in peanut butter and stir until smooth.
8. Pour the caramel/peanut butter over the warm cookie dough and then drop the remaining cookie dough on top of the caramel a couple Tablespoonfuls at a time, spreading the dough out as much as possible to cover more surface area.
9. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the dough is golden brown. Let cool.

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This recipe is based on Knock You Naked Bars from www.julieseatsandtreats.com.