Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

The other night I was wanting something sweet, and the pantry was pretty much bare.  For whatever reason, I wanted some peanut butter chocolate chip bars, even though to my knowledge I'd never had them before.  I was sure there had to be a recipe out there, though.

I decided to use this one from the San Francisco Examiner.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 1 1/4 cup AP flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup toasted and chopped nuts
• 6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grease and flour a 13x9x2 baking dish.
3. Cream the sugars, butter and peanut butter.
4. Beat in the egg and water and vanilla.
5. Mix in the flour, soda and salt on a low speed, scraping down the bowl.
6. Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips.
7. Spread the batter evenly in the baking dish.
8. Bake until golden brown (approximately 20 to 25 minutes).
9. Cool before cutting into bars.

I just realized that I did not add the vanilla, because the original directions did not have that step (I added it for you).

This was quick and easy to mix up (especially since I used my Christmas stand mixer!).  It didn't seem like there was enough of it to fill a 9x13 pan, and I was wondering if that was a mistake.  It was also a pretty stiff dough, and kind of hard to spread, but I did get it in the 9x13 and they baked up just fine.  Next time I might try adding a little milk or something to thin it out a bit.  If you wanted them to be thicker than about 3/4 inch, I imagine you could use a 9x9 pan and adjust the baking time.

Here's where I would normally put a photo.  Unfortunately, I can't.  Remember when I said we had Windows back?  That only lasted about a day.  I'm forced to work with Linux, which seems to require a different procedure about every 3rd time you want to do something.  Tonight, I can't figure out how it wants me to upload a photo.  Craig is already in bed, otherwise I'd risk the wrath of his tech support alter-ego, and ask him to show me how to do it.  Again.

Since I can't, I'll just have to grind my teeth in frustration.  Luckily, I can stuff a yummy peanut butter chocolate chip bar in my mouth so at least the wear and tear on my teeth will not be in vain!