Chocolate Chip-Peanut Butter Squares from Pillsbury Bake-Off #38
By Barry Garcia, West Palm Beach, FL
Just four ingredients? Yes! Chocolate Chip-Peanut Butter Squares are the ultimate easy cookie recipe. The bar cookies come together in less than ten minutes.
Don’t let the base and topping from refrigerated cookie dough give you pause, since it’s the layers give this bar cookie its intrigue.
The inner filling is like a peanut butter truffle – a whipped, smooth filling that holds its form – sandwiched between two layers of classic chocolate chip cookie dough.
It’s easy to see why these cookies were a favorite recipe from the iconic Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest #38 in 1998.
Prep time: <10 minutes
Bake time: 30-35 minutes
Makes about 16 bars
Ingredients
1 roll (16 ounces) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough, such as Pillsbury® Create ‘N Bake refrigerated chocolate chip cookies
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 ½ cups creamy peanut butter
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350º F (325º F for a glass dish). Set out an
8- or 9-inch square baking pan.
- In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed,
combine the powdered sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla until well blended.
- Cut cookie dough in half. Break up half the dough into small
pieces and press the dough evenly onto the bottom of the ungreased baking pan.
- Spoon the peanut butter mixture into the pan. Use the back
of the spoon to press it evenly across cookie base.
- Crumble the remaining half of the cookie dough into as many
small pieces as possible. Sprinkle dough pieces over the peanut butter surface.
Use your fingertips to gently work the dough, spreading it carefully and as
evenly as possible to cover the peanut butter layer.
- Bake cookies for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and
firm to the touch. Remove baking pan from the oven. Allow bars to cool in the
pan on a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes. Refrigerate pan until bars are
chilled, about 1 hour.
- Use a sharp knife to cut cookies into 4 rows by 4 rows (or
any other size you wish.) Remove bars from the pan with a spatula.
- Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Special Baking Tips for Chocolate Chip-Peanut Butter Squares
- You can substitute your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe for the prepared, refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough. Make sure you weigh amounts so that you don’t use too much or too little dough for the base or topping.
- You may choose to mix the filling ingredients with a large spoon rather than the electric mixer.
More Easy Cookie Recipes from The Elf
3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies: easy cookie recipe and gluten-free
Chocolate Chip Bar Cookies: moist and soft, quick recipe ...
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies: chocolate chip cookie variation ...
Easy Brownies: simpler than using a mix ...
Easy chocolate chip cookies - just 5 ingredients!
Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies: Just 7 Ingredients ...
Oreo Krispie Treats: easy no-bake cookie recipe ...
Smores Bars: easy, no-bake cookies, fun for kids ...
Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies: easy cake mix cookie recipe ...
More Elf-Tested Pillsbury Bake-Off Recipes for Cookies
Choco-Butterscotch Bars: from Bake-Off 22 ...
Cinnamon Toffee Pecan Cookies: just 6 ingredients ...
Pecan Pie Surprise Bars: easy cookie recipe and Bake-Off #22 winner ...
Pineapple Coconut Bars from Bake-Off #35 ...
White Chocolate Key Lime Calypso Bars: from Pillsbury Bake-Off #40 ...
Return from Chocolate Chip-Peanut Butter Squares to
The Cookie Elf home
Find A Cookie Recipe or Cookie Baking Tip
The Cookie Elf
FREE! 6 Easy Cookies Recipes for Kids and Families
Get your free copy here or when you fill in the form below.
New! Comments
Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.