Chocolate & Peanut Butter Bars

Saturday I got the urge to bake. It may have been because my son was rummaging around the kitchen looking for anything that would half way resemble a cookie. Poor kid, we haven’t had any cookies in a while…I should have waited till Sunday to start this ordeal seeing as it was already almost 9pm.


At first I think its ruined…
The recipe I am adapting says to cook for 30 minutes, but when I check it at 22, the sides are already too brown for my liking. I do the tooth pick test and the center is still gooey…I was not sure what to do. I covered it with foil and turned the oven off, figuring it was a lost cause anyway.
In every book and blog I have read, every author stresses the importance of taking whatever you are making out of the pan and letting it cool on a rack. So in my attempt to do that I lost the majority of the middle of the cookie bars. It broke apart into two clean pieces, no crumbling or anything…


Feeling Completely Dejected, I covered it in foil and went to bed…

My son, who would eat anything with a little chocolate in it, decided he was going to have the first taste test. (at 7am) My daughter, who is a bit more picky about her sweets had the second taste test. (7:05am) And then, when they woke up my husband with chocolate smeared all over their mouths, he decided to join them in the taste testing…

Their official responses were “tastes kinda like a scone”, “not pretty, but very yummy”, and “can you add more chocolate chips next time”.

adapted from Bakerella

Congo Bars
2 3/4 c. GLUTEN FREE FLOUR (Bob's Red Mill)
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder (already in flour mix)
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 c. butter, softened
2 c. brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 package milk chocolate chips
1 c. chopped pecans (optional)



I added 1 cup Chunky Peanut Butter mixed with 1/2 cup powdered sugar.  I roughly mixed it into the already prepared batter and then spread it in the pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside. Combine butter and sugar using a mixer until blended. Add eggs, one at a time to sugar mixture, mixing on low in between each addition. Add vanilla and mix. Add flour and mix until combined. Stir in chips and then pecans.

Coat a 9x13 pan with non-stick spray and spread batter evenly into dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Make sure you don’t over bake.

Inspired by Six Sisters' Stuff

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