These bars are extremely easy, take only about 15 minutes of preparation, and they look so impressive after slicing them! I mean look at those pictures, I was so proud. And, next time you're really in the mood for those iconic Girl Scout cookies, you can get them right from your kitchen!
Peanut Butter Patties Cookie Bars
Shortbread Crust:
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, very soft
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 1½ tsp. vanilla extract
Peanut Butter Filling:
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
- 1 heaping cup creamy peanut butter
- ¾ cup confectioners' sugar
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. salt
Chocolate Layer:
- 1 heaping cup (about 8 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable shortening
Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8” square baking dish with aluminum foil so that there is some hanging around the edges to make for easy pull-out of the dish; set aside.
In a stand mixer, beat together all the ingredients of the crust until crumbly. If you wait long enough, it will come together in a ball of dough because of the soft butter, but you do NOT want this, you only beat until it is crumbly. Then, take the crumbly dough, place it in the baking dish, and then use your hands or a spatula to flatten it into the dish. Poke the crust with a fork a dozen times to let the air escape while baking. Bake the crust for 12-13 minutes, or until not browned but baked throughout.
Make the peanut butter filling: Melt the butter in the microwave. Combine all the filling ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and stir until smooth. Pour the filling on top of the warm crust and set aside.
Make the chocolate layer: Melt the chocolate chips with the shortening in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth. This should take about 90 seconds. Pour over the peanut butter layer (it looks like it will swish together but the oil from the peanut butter stops that from happening, for the most part). Shake the pan a bit to help disperse the chocolate, then gently use a spatula to smooth it to the edges. Cover the pan with foil and let sit for about 4 hours to set. To speed up the process, you can put it in the refrigerator for about 3 hours. I made these in the humid summer and did 3 hours out of the fridge and about 1.5 hours in the fridge to get clean cuts from the bars.