Choco-Coconut Peanut Butter Bars

Recipe by eatrunread.blogspot.com

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Yields: 48 Bars

Ingredients

• 1 (18 1/4ounce) package  yellow cake mix
• 1  cup chunky peanut butter
• 8  tablespoons butter, melted
• 2  large eggs
• 2  cups  semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 14  ounces  sweetened  condensed milk
• 2  tablespoons butter
• 1  cup flaked coconut
• 2  teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 F, set aside an ungreased 13x9 inch baking pan.
2. Place the cake mix, peanut butter, melted butter, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. The mixture will be satiny and thick. Reserve 1.5 cups of the mixture for the topping. Transfer the remaining mixture to the pan. Using your finger tips, press the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan so that it reaches the sides. Set aside.
3. For the filling, place the chocolate chips, condensed milk, and 2 tablespoons butter in a medium size heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir and cook until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is well combined. 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the coconut and vanilla until well distributed. Pour the chocolate mixture over the crust and spread it evenly with the rubber spatula so that it reaches the sides of the pan. Using your fingertips crumble the reserved crust mixture and scatter it evenly over the chocolate. Place the pan in the oven.
4. Bake the cake until it is light brown 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.
5. Cut the cake into 48 bars. Remove the bars from the pan with a metal spatula and serve.