Salted Peanut Butter and Chocolate Blondies

SALTED PEANUT BUTTER AND CHOCOLATE BLONDIES

prep 25 minutes bake 20 minutes at 350°F

• Nonstick cooking spray
•  ½ cup butter, cut up
•  ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
•   2 cups packed brown sugar
•   2 eggs, lightly beaten
•   2 tsp. vanilla
•   2 cups all-purpose flour
•   1 tsp. baking powder
•  ¼ tsp. baking soda
•   1 cup salted roasted peanuts, chopped
•   1 5.25- to 5.32-oz. pkg. dark 60% cacao chocolate squares or dark chocolate and sea salt caramel squares (such as Ghirardelli), unwrapped and broken into large pieces
• Flaked sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 13×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper or foil, extending over edges of pan. Lightly coat paper or foil with cooking spray. In a medium saucepan melt butter and peanut butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar. Stir in eggs and vanilla until combined. Stir in flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir in peanuts. Pat the dough into the prepared baking pan.

2. Bake 18 minutes. Top with the broken chocolate squares. Bake 2 minutes more or until evenly browned and edges are puffed. Sprinkle with sea salt. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Use edges of parchment paper to lift uncut bars out of pan; cut into bars.

number of servings 36

per bar 157 cal., 7 g fat (3 g sat. fat), 18 mg chol., 147 mg sodium, 21 g carb., 1 g fiber, 15 g sugars, 3 g pro.

MAKE AHEAD

Layer bars between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container. Store at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.