Salty meets sweet in these Peanut Butter Cookie Bars. They're gooey, chewy, crisp on the outside and packed full of dark chocolate chunks, salty peanut butter and crunchy peanuts.
Firstly, preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas Mark 4. Then grease a 9x9inch square baking tin, and line the base and two opposite sides with baking paper, so you can easily lift the cookie bar out when baked.
For the browned butter: Place the butter into a small saucepan over a low-medium heat and melt stirring every now and then. Keep the melted butter on the heat as it foams, stirring every now and then until the foaming subsides and you're left with a light brown butter with darker flecks. Then take off the heat and pour into a large heat-proof bowl, then set aside.
For the dough: Firstly, chop the chocolate and peanuts into rough chunks and set aside. Add both sugars into the bowl with the browned melted butter, then using an electric hand-whisk, whisk on a high speed until well combined. Then add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla and whisk again until well combined. Whisk in the peanut butter, until the mixture is a little thickened. Then whisk in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and table salt until you have a soft thick dough. Finally, mix in the chopped chocolate and peanuts.
Tip the cookie dough into the prepared baking tin, and using your hands flatten in the tin until even. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until lightly golden brown, then remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 15 minutes. Finally, remove from the tin and leave to cool completely on a cooling rack. Slice into 8 bars and enjoy!
Notes
Bars keep for 3-4 days in an air-tight container.
Keyword chocolate, cookies, dark chocolate, peanut butter