Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

This is a fast and easy way to get some decadent cookie bars - let the chocolate chips do the work! It is one of those recipes you can throw together and just leave on the counter to cool off while you go about the rest of your kitchen work. Not a fancy cookie but how can you go wrong with an abundance of chocolate and peanut butter tastes?

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
1 stick softened butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use vegetable oil to grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. You can also line the bottom of the pan with parchment.

Beat together the butter and sugar until thoroughly incorporated. Add the egg, extracts, peanut butter, and beat together. In another bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Mix into the butter/sugar mixture just until a dough forms.

Press the dough out evenly into the baking pan. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until it is baked through and browning a bit around the edges. Remove from oven and scatter the chocolate and peanut butter chips over the surface of the baked dough. Let it set a minute until the chips soften enough to spread. Carefully swirl the melted chocolate and peanut butter chips over the surface of the cookie. Let if finish cooling, cut into bars, and enjoy. The 'frosting' of chips will crack if you refrigerate it before letting in naturally cool down and cutting it into bars.

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