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I know, you’re probably tired of gooey bars at this point, but you must make room for one more recipe. These Peanut Butter Cookie Gooey Bars combine my favorite peanut butter cookie recipe and gooey chocolate for the most decadent gooey bar EVER!
For the longest time I have wondered why people tell me I don’t look like my profile picture. I’ve wondered why, when I’m with people like Hayley, strangers flock to her at every step but when I’m alone I seem to repel people like opposites of a magnet. Last week I finally figured out the answers to these problems:
I have RBF, otherwise known as “Resting B****y Face”. It’s a real thing, RBF, and I have it. I have it bad.
I happened to be talking about this last week in Carmel with Lisa and Cathy and Cathy said, “You know, when I first got out of the car I thought you didn’t like me.”
Apparently, until I smile I look like an enormous you-know-what. When I smile, my face lights up and I become the Dorothy that everyone knows (and, I guess, the Dorothy of that profile picture up there on the sidebar).
RBF, an affliction that answers so many questions. How do you cure RBF? I’m not sure.
The “mini smile” seems fake and it looks like I’m telling you to go do something to yourself while I smile at you.
Walking around with a full smile just makes me look like I’m on something. No one is that happy all of the time.
So, the moral of the story is that, if you meet me and don’t recognize me, make me smile at you. And know that I’m really not a bitch, just my face is.
Thank goodness I can bake goodies like these gooey bars; they have redeeming powers.
So, these peanut butter cookie gooey bars. Really, they’re one of the best things ever.
First, know they’re like a meal. Forget the protein bar, have a gooey bar instead. Swallow it down with some milk and you have the lunch of champions.
Second, I know these are super amazing because I brought them on my trip last week an 9 other food bloggers tasted them. Not one spit one out and told me they sucked, so I think I have a pretty good recipe on my hands. 🙂
These bars start with my favorite peanut butter cookie recipe. I’ve used that same recipe for so many things, including s’mores, caramel cookie bars, and stuffed cookies.
{Hey, when you find a recipe that works, why break it?}
Instead of making cookies out of the dough, I spread about 2/3 of it into the bottom of a 9×13″ pan. Then I poured chocolate chips and a can of sweetened condensed milk over the top and spread the remaining dough over that.
Once they bake they’re ooey gooey chocolatey peanut butter heaven. I think they’re the cure for RBF, what do you think?
At least they make me smile…and that makes me look like me. Peanut butter FTW.
Peanut Butter Cookie Gooey Bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 cups milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13” pan with foil or parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
- Cream butter, peanut butter, and both sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add egg, vanilla, milk, salt, and baking soda. Mix until combined. Slowly add flour and mix until dough comes together.
- Press 2/3 of the dough in the bottom of the pan. The dough is very sticky so spray your hands with cooking spray first. It’ll look like you don’t have enough dough but spread it into a thin layer.
- Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the bottom layer. Pour the sweetened condensed milk (SCM) over the chocolate chips. Try to give a 1/2 inch border around the edges where the SCM does not touch the edge of the pan. This prevents bubbling edges.
- Spoon tablespoon drops of your remaining dough over the top of the SCM layer. Spray your hands again with cooking spray and gently flatten the dough with your fingers. I sort of spread the dough a bit while I was flattening. It won’t completely cover; you’ll still see the filling.
- Bake for about 30-36 minutes, until the bars begin to brown on top. Cool completely before slicing. These are gooey when you cut them unless you chill them first. (They taste better gooey!)
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They can be frozen in sealable containers or ziploc bags between layers of paper towels for up to one month.
Recipe Nutrition
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Last Updated on May 15, 2020
I totally suffer from this sometimes too. I wear my emotions on my face, so if I am not happy, someone is going to know it. I had no idea about RBF until I met someone at work who has MAJOR RBF, it’s pretty bad! Anyhow, I will always make room for a Gooey Bar, especially this one!
Exactly, emotions on the face!! I’m like an open book, always.
This made me LOL for real. I am so guilty of RBF too.
I’m so glad I’m not alone!! 🙂
Sorry if you inherited my “zoned out” face. I know it used to drive you crazy when I was thinking about something and “in the zone”. It was either that or smiling.
xoxo
LOL. I never thought about it until recently. It’s my “deep in thought” face!
Ha! “I’m not really a bitch, just my face is.” I am laughing out loud. I’m so glad you don’t actually hate me….and I’m glad RBF came up so I didn’t spend the whole week wondering! And. These bars? TO DIE FOR. I’m kinda mad I didn’t take a few for the car ride!
I still laugh to myself every time I think about that conversation!! 🙂 I totally love you, so you needn’t have worried, ha!
When I met you I just thought you were reserved (and there is nothing wrong with that!). I have a different problem – strangers always think they know me from somewhere. It started in college, when some guy told me he was in my chemistry class (that is the last class I would ever have signed up for!). And I don’t care how many gooey bars are on the Internet – I am sticking with yours!!!
OH MY! Those look heavenly! I’m drooling over here, I love all things peanut butter!
DOROTHY!! Your recipes and hilarious stories get me every time! If I ever meet you (which is pretty unlikely given that we are on opposite sides of the world) I would totally ignore that RBF! Can’t wait to make these epic looking bars =)
Thanks for reading! And hey, you never know….maybe a blog conference somewhere in the middle??? 🙂
You had me at gooey Dorothy! These bars look magical! Totally drooling right now.
Just stumbled across your blog because of this recipe. Looks AMAZING! Will have to check out the rest of your stuff too.
Thank you and welcome!! 🙂
BAHAHA…You had me laughing so hard!!! I think that RBF is a real thing because sometimes people who know me really well have told me I look like a mean school teacher! I think I just get into a zone and don’t focus on looking insanely happy all the time. I love these gooey bars and I think they would become a family favorite here!!!! Pinned!
The zone – that’s totally it. I get totally lost in space when I’m alone! 🙂
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