Chocolate-Peanut Butter Dream Bars
- Ready In:
- 1hr 12mins
- Ingredients:
- 16
- Serves:
-
25
ingredients
- 3⁄4 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 (18 1/4 ounce) box brownie mix
- 1⁄4 cup water
- 1⁄3 cup oil
- 3 eggs
- 1⁄2 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1⁄2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1⁄2 cup confectioners' sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 3⁄4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- whipped cream, chopped peanuts, chocolate-peanut butter candies and caramel sauce, to garnish
directions
- Heat oven to 350°F
- Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line pan with foil, allowing sides to overhang; spray foil.
- In small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar.
- Mix in melted butter.
- Press crumb mixture into prepared pan.
- Bake until golden, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Cool on wire rack.
- Prepare brownie mix according to package directions for cakelike brownies (adding 1/4 cup water, 1/3 cup oil and 3 eggs).
- Fold in chopped nuts.
- Pour batter into crust-lined pan.
- Return to 350°F oven; bake until brownie is just set and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
- Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
- With electric mixer in medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.
- Add peanut butter and confectioners' sugar; beat until just blended (it will look lumpy).
- Add milk; beat lightly to loosen mixture.
- In separate bowl, whip 1 cup of the cream and gently fold into peanut butter mixture.
- Spread mousse evenly over cooled brownie.
- Refrigerate 1 hour.
- Heat remaining 1/2 cup cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until just boiling.
- Remove from heat; add corn syrup and chocolate chips.
- Cover and let stand 5 minutes.
- Stir until smooth.
- Pour glaze over chilled mousse and spread to cover completely.
- Return to refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Run a small knife around inside of pan and lift out brownie.
- Heat knife under hot running water and trim edges.
- Slice brownie, rinsing knife after each cut, into 5 strips about 1-1/2 inches wide.
- Cut each strip into 5 pieces about 1-1/2 inches square.
- Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with whipped cream, nuts, candy and caramel sauce.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Vino Girl
United States
My husband and I married straight out of college in July of 1992. I work as the Assistant Manager at a wine shop which allows me to drink on the job! (OK, not that much, but it's still a fun job...) Besides helping customers choose wine they will like (and also help with food and wine pairings for their menus), I also get to help with the catering end of the business, so I get to spend a fair amount of time in the kitchen making fun appetizers and beautiful food displays. I also work part-time at the fromagerie next door. So yeah - that means I eat on the job, too. :^D
We live on several peaceful wooded acres on a cute little river in rural NE Wisconsin, with a cranky old-lady Burmese and whatever stray outdoor cats that have decided to adopt us on any given day. The cute puppy in the picture is Jake, our Elhew-bred English Pointer that we brought home on Easter weekend 2007. I've also got 2 painted turtles named Dennis and Fuzz, and a bunch of fish (koi and goldfish, along with the guppies & swordtails in the turtle tank).
I USUALLY eat and cook healthy, but I rarely pass up dessert, either. I do not eat red meat, and try to limit other animal products, too. I love to bake, although I seem to collect a lot of scone and biscotti recipes which I NEVER get around to making. I bake and eat A LOT of cookies and muffins... I almost always reduce the sugar by 1/4 and use whole wheat pastry flour for at least part of the flour. Those two changes do so much to make recipes healthier without compromising taste. I try to reduce fat whenever I can, too, but while I want to eat healthy, I still want to ENJOY what I eat!!!
I seem to give a lot of 4 and 5 star reviews here - I seem to have a pretty good sense of what I like by looking at a recipe before I try it. Thank you to anyone that tries my recipes in return, or photographs them.
Amber:
<img src="http://netnet.net/~mkburie/amber2.jpg">
........And a grown up Jake (one year old in January 2008) :) -
<img src="http://netnet.net/~mkburie/JAKE111307.JPG">
Charlotte (May 27, 1992-June 1, 2009):
<img src="http://netnet.net/~mkburie/Charlott.jpg">
Ashley: Adopted October 8, 1996 - Passed Away January 6, 2009
<img src="http://netnet.net/~mkburie/ashley2.jpg">
Mike: September 26, 1994 - March 19, 2004<img src="http://netnet.net/~mkburie/mike1997-lr.JPG">....
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