Peanut Butter Fingers

This is not a cookie, no indeed! It's bread with a peanut butter filling dipped in chocolate, a tasty treat my friend! I'm not sure of the weight for the chocolate candy coating so it's an estimate. This is a National Peanut Festival Cookie and Overall Student Winner on Peanut Lovers :)

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Yields: 60 fingers

Ingredients

• 1  loaf  whole wheat bread (original recipe called for white bread)
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped roasted peanuts (or try almonds or walnuts, etc.)
• 1 (12 ounce) jar creamy peanut butter (or try almond butter)
• 1⁄2 cup  oil (peanut oil would work well, but any neutral tasting oil will work)
• 1 (12 ounce) package  chocolate-flavored candy coating (or 1- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips)

Directions

1. Freeze loaf of bread overnight.
2. Remove crusts and save. Cut each slice of bread into four or five finger size pieces.
3. Place fingers and crusts on a cookie sheet and bake at 225°F for 30 minutes.
4. Crush crusts to make crumbs (a food processor works good for this). Mix bread crumbs and chopped nuts in a paper or plastic storage bag.
5. Mix oil and peanut butter(or almond butter). Microwave on high for 3 minutes and stir until smooth. Dip fingers in peanut butter mixture and put in the bag of crumbs. Shake to coat. Place fingers on cookie sheet and bake in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes.
6. Melt candy coating following package directions. Or melt chocolate chips till creamy and smooth over double boiler or in microwave.
7. Dip fingers and place on waxed paper. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Store in airtight container up to 2 weeks. Enjoy!