Peanut Butter Bars

by Annette Huntington submitted by Traci

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 cups of margarine (not butter)

2 cups of peanut butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups of flour

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

4 cups of oatmeal

1 package of milk chocolate chips

Mix sugars and and margarine. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Mix until barely combined. Add remaining ingredients, except for chocolate chips and mix until just combined. Pat mixture into cookie sheet with sides (I'll have to go measure for dimensions).

Bake at 325 degrees for 16 to 18 minutes or until barely golden brown on top. Let cool completely.

Melt chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted. Spread melted chocolate on top of peanut butter bars.

Peanut Butter Cream Pie

contributed and modified by Traci
from Mrs. Fields Cookie Cookbook

Crust (I always just use a graham cracker crust, but the book suggests this one)
6 oz semisweet chocolate chips (about 1 cup)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ½ cups crisp rice cereal
¼ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Filling
8 oz cream cheese, softened
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream

Topping
3 oz milk chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Milk chocolate curls for garnish

Make the crust: in a double boiler, melt the 6 oz of chocolate chips and butter over low heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the rice cereal until completely coated. Set aside to cool to lukewarm, the stir in the mini chips. Press in to the bottom and up the sides of a buttered 9-inch pie plate. Chill for 30 minutes to set the chocolate.
Prepare the filling: In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in the condensed milk, peanut butter, and vanilla.
In a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks from. Fold the whipped cream in to the peanut butter mixture. Pour the filling into the crust.
Make the topping: In a double boiler, melt the milk chocolate over hot, not simmering, water. Add the heavy cream and stir constantly until blended. Set aside to cool slightly, and then drizzle the chocolate over the top of the pie. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. Garnish with milk chocolate curls.

My variation:
© A note on the chocolate topping: I usually use a recipe like the one below for the topping. Unfortunately, I never really measure the chocolate or cream so you may just have to try it and adjust by adding more chocolate or more cream to achieve the consistency you want.
o 4 oz. milk chocolate (chips or chopped)
o 1/3 cup heavy cream
o Place the chocolate in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth.
© I use the graham cracker crust and then I make extra of the chocolate topping (maybe doubling it?) I spread this in the bottom of the graham cracker crust saving a little in a plastic baggie for the topping. I pour the filling on top of the chocolate layer. Later, I cut a small corner off of the baggie and it becomes a decorating bag to drizzle chocolate over the top.
OR
© I have also marbled the chocolate into the pie (this is easier than the above way). I do this by putting half of the PB filling in the crust and then putting spoonfuls of the chocolate on top of the first layer. Then I put the rest of the filling in the pie plate and put some more spoonfuls of chocolate on top. Finally I use a knife to cut through the filling in zig-zag motions to create the marble effect.Also I have made this pie low-fat by using a tub of lite cream instead of whipping cream, using low-fat cream cheese and non-fat sweetened condensed milk.