Peanut Butter Bars.

We received a very special gift for Christmas this year and I can't even explain to you how excited I was about it!  Each family on the Bridge side received a cookbook compiled of our family's favorite recipes.  These aren't just any recipes though!  The Bridge's are the biggest foodies I have ever met, so you can only imagine how good these recipes are!  This book has recipes that have been passed down from Grandma and Grandpa Bridge, recipes that are used every year for holidays, recipes that have been handwritten and photo copied, that sort of thing.  My mother-in-law and the aunts worked so hard to put this cookbook together for everyone.  I am so grateful to have such a treasure.  My goal is to make every recipe in the Bridge cookbook (and take photos of course!).  Have you ever seen the movie Julie and Julia?  It'll probably take me more than a year to do it though.

The first recipe I made were Aunt Claudia's Peanut Butter Bars.  These were so delicious, the perfect combination of creamy peanut butter, chocolate, and a soft cookie-like crust on the bottom!

Peanut Butter Bars:
1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup flour
1 cup oats

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Frosting:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 teaspoons milk
1/4 cup butter softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar
Add egg, peanut butter, baking soda, vanilla, and salt
Stir in flour and oats
Pat mixture into a greased 9x13 pan and bake for 20 min
Right out of the oven sprinkle with chocolate chips then add the frosting on top.  The heat will make the frosting very easy to spread, the chocolate chips and frosting will swirl together.