🍪 Peanut Butter Lunch Lady Cookie Bars 🍽️
Ingredients
For the Cookie Base:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Peanut Butter Frosting:
4 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
Remaining ½ cup peanut butter
Remaining 1 stick (½ cup) butter
Remaining 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Prep the Pan: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a rimmed 15x10-inch jelly roll pan or line it with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang for easy removal.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Prepare Wet Mixture: In a separate bowl, combine the beaten eggs, ½ cup milk, and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth.
Melt Butter & Peanut Butter: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter with ½ cup peanut butter. Bring the mixture just to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. Immediately remove from heat.
Mix the Batter: Gradually pour the hot butter–peanut butter mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring until combined. Then fold in the egg–milk mixture until you have a smooth, thick batter.
Bake: Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until the edges are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.
Make the Frosting: In the same saucepan (no need to wash it), melt the remaining ½ cup butter with the remaining ½ cup peanut butter over low heat. Once melted and combined, remove from heat and stir in the 2 tablespoons of milk. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, mixing until smooth and glossy. If needed, add a splash more milk for desired spreadable consistency.
Frost & Serve: Pour the warm frosting over the cooled cookie base and spread evenly to the edges. Allow the frosting to set at room temperature for 30–45 minutes before slicing into squares or rectangles.
Yield: 16–24 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: About 1 hour (including cooling)
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