Hi, I’m Kelley, and I’m a sugaraholic.
Remember that sugar bender I went on last week? The day I consumed mostly sugar and chocolate? I guess I forgot to mention that it involved peanut butter too. I’d like to take this minute and introduce you to the reason I had such a nasty glucose hangover last Wednesday. I blame it on the buttercream. I could have eaten the entire bowl of this peanut butter frosting had the inner voice that lives deep inside me not cried out in a desperate plea to stop. I guess even a conscious can have too much sugar. Please don’t let that fact that I have no self control and od’d on sugar cookie bars stop you from making these beauties. Trust me, folks, these are worth an extra half an hour on the treadmill.
Don’t be fooled by appearances. Aside from the fact these bars have chocolate in them, they are nothing like a brownie. The bars have the texture of your favorite sugar cookie, crunchy edges with a soft center. The dough is spiked with the perfect amount of cocoa powder and a pinch of espresso powder making them To. Die. For.
While I’m pretty sure these would be delicious rolled out and baked like a traditional sugar cookie, I wouldn’t know. Ever since my friend, Annalise, introduced me the idea of a sugar cookie bar, I’ve never looked back. I’m all about taking the easy road.
As good as these cookies are, (and they’re good) they are nothing without the buttercream. Peanut butter frosting very well might be new favorite condiment. I like to think of these bars as a mere vehicle to get the peanut butter frosting from the table to my mouth. I don’t know what it is about me and buttercream lately but I’m totally in love with it. And yes, I’d like to bathe in this version as well.
So run, don’t walk to the store and get the ingredients to make these. You’ll need to run to work off all these calories. If you’re one to heed some advice then read the next sentence carefully. Restrain yourself and go slow. Eat one and give the rest to your favorite neighbor or co-worker. But if you’re like me and not big on listening, go big, eat half the pan. Just be prepared to pay the price.
Chocolate Sugar Cookie Bars with Peanut Butter Frosting
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven at 350F degrees. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder if using, salt and baking powder in bowl and set aside. In a medium bowl, with a hand mixer, beat butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla until combined. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until smooth. Press cookie dough into a 9-1/2 x 13 rimmed cookie sheet. You could use a 9 x 13 cake pan as well. Bake for 13-15 minutes taking care to not overcook. Edges should be puffy but still soft in the center. Transfer pan to a cooling rack and cool completely while you prepare the frosting.
Peanut butter Frosting:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
Place peanut butter and in a small bowl. With a hand mixer, beat until creamy and smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt and milk 1 tablespoon at a time until well incorporated and you reach the desired consistency. Adjust ingredients as necessary. Frost totally cooled bars and cut into 24 squares. These are best eaten the day they are made.
Yum! Looks like we’ve both been having problems saying no to the sugar lately. I love how you took this recipe and made it your own with the chocolate and peanut butter. It sounds AMAZING. I’ve never actually made peanut butter buttercream, time to change that!
Girl, the peanut butter buttercream will change your life. It’s so so so so good!
I recently made snickerdoodle cookie bars with pink cream cheese frosting for Valentine’s Day and these are soooo perfect. The chocolate bar with PB frosting…I want!
I saw them……I love anything snickerdoodle, I definitely need to try them!
Oh my. When I was teaching school the one dessert I could not resist was Peanut Butter Fingers, and these sound even better.
I don’t know what it is about chocolate and peanut butter but it’s hard to turn down!
Love everything about these bars! Mmmm!
Love the idea of making cookies like this…big time saver! I will be making these soon & I know I won’t be able to stop myself from eating the whole pan
Thx for sharing!
Thanks for the comment and good luck on eating just one!
We have similar tastebuds I think. I know I would LOVE these. And you’re right, they’d be worth every extra mile on the treadmill.
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE everything about this. Thanks for ensuring that my degree in ‘Exercise Science’ is tapped into every day of my life because of all your good eats on here.
Keep up the good work, my friend.
PS I just pinned this….
I made these delicious little goddess’s last night and put a touch of the expresso powder in the buttercream. Have been on my treadmill all morning….
haha! But it was worth it, no?
Um, sugar cookie bar with peanut butter? Well, as soon as I’ve tasted one of these, I’m sure I could die and go to heaven. You’re killing me!
Sorry, Dara. But they are so worth it!
Oh my buttercream! These look deeliscioso and totally addicting. I’m with you on the sugar high and I’ve never had a bar ala sugar cookie. Good work on listening to Annalise. Thank the sugar lords for the two of you.
Always listen to Annalise. That’s my new motto.
If someone starts to sell pb frosting as a condiment, I’ma goner! These look soooooo good!!!