Easy Peasy Peanut Butter Cookie Bars

If you like peanut butter and chocolate, you’re going to love this recipe.  It’s super easy.  I actually had to make it twice because the first time I was just throwing stuff into the mixing bowl and didn’t keep track of any measurements.  They were so good that I just had to share.  That meant making them a second time so I could put together an actual recipe for you.  I really didn’t mind, though. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 ½ cups peanut butter (something natural)
• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 1 ½ cups sugar*
• ¼ - ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon molasses*
• 1 Tablespoon brown rice syrup (or other syrup)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 1 cup oats (I used quick oats, but old fashioned are also fine)
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• ½ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
• *If you prefer, you can use brown sugar in place of the sugar and omit the molasses.

Go ahead and preheat the oven to 350°.  Butter a 9x13 pan and set it aside.  Then, into your mixing bowl go the peanut butter and butter.  (As always, the ingredients should all be at room temperature.)  The peanut butter I’m using is made from unblanched peanuts which is why it has such a dark color. 

Mix them together until they are thoroughly combined. 

Add the sugar.

Mix. 

Add the molasses, rice syrup, vanilla, and ¼ teaspoon salt. 

Mix.  (I did mention these are really easy, right?)  This is a good time to taste the mixture for saltiness.  I like my peanut butter stuff to be pretty salty, but it’s a personal thing.  If you like it at that point, leave it.  If it needs more salt, go ahead and stir some in. 

Add the baking soda and powder.  Mix them in thoroughly, scraping the bowl down in the process.

Next up are the eggs.  Go ahead and throw them both in. 

As you mix them in, you’ll see your stuff get stiff.  *ahem*  To be honest, I’m not sure why that happens with peanut butter cookies, but that’s the reason the eggs don’t go in until now. 

Add the flour and oats. 

Stir just enough to bring everything together.  It’ll be a bit crumbly,

But if you squeeze some of it in your hand, it will hold together nicely. 

Add the chocolate chips.  I used a combination of milk chocolate and mini semisweet ones, and although you can really use whatever you want, I highly recommend that particular pair for this application. 

Stir them in so they’re evenly-ish distributed. 

Dump the whole thing into your prepared pan and press it down firmly so that it’s an even thickness. 

Bake for 25 - 30 minutes.  It will look dry on top and will be browning nicely around the edges. 

Cool completely (yeah right.  Good luck with that) and cut into squares.  The salty peanut butter combined with the sweetness of the chocolate and the chewiness of the oats brings together all of your favorite cookies into one fabulous bar. 

What's your favorite cookie bar?

Spinach Pesto

I should have timed myself because I know this took less than 20 minutes to make.

Last night's dinner was a horrible fail. How bad was it? I wouldn't even post it as a fail, that's how bad. I've had quite a few fails lately and I really needed to do something to redeem myself. Pretty sure this did it.

Colourful, fresh, fast. Perfect spring dinner.

Spinach Pesto

• 3-4 cups fresh spinach
• 1/2 c grated parmesan, asiago, or romano cheese
• 2-3 tbsp nuts, I used cashews because I had them
• 1 large garlic clove
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• salt
• olive oil

Dinner was tasty, but I still didn't get all the ingredients in the picture though.

No oven to preheat this time. But getting the water boiling now helps. Grating the cheese too.

Dump the spinach leaves into the food processor.

Sprinkle on the cheese, nuts, garlic, lemon zest, and salt.

Squeeze in the juice.

A few pulses will get it looking like this.

This recipe makes enough for 4-6 servings of pasta, but if you want to make a double batch, just add another set of everything to the bowl, and do it all over again.

Scrape down the sides and this time, when you turn it on, pour in a tablespoon or two of olive oil, until it just turns pasty. 

At this point, you can use it as a pasta sauce, an ingredient in a dip, a sandwich spread, or even in soup.

A bit more oil will make it very saucy, but it will store and freeze just as well as it is now.

Besides, a bit of cream will make it saucy too.

You can make pesto with anything leafy and green. Spinach is very brightly coloured, but mildly flavoured. Even kids should eat this. But if they don't want to, add some prosciutto , tell them it's green noodles and ham and they don't get to say they don't like it until they try it. SamIAm.

Okay, there we go. I made dinner. I really can cook.