Fudgie Peanut Butter Bars

Good afternoon Readers! Summer is just around the corner and with that comes parties, picnics and day trips. When I was a kid, I remember going out during the day with my best friend on a hike and bringing along a picnic which my grandma would help put together for us. Every time we would go, she would include some sort of bar that wouldn't melt but would give us a sweet finish to our lunch. Lemon, peanut butter, berry, the bars were endless and delicious to the last crumb.

Since then, many of the recipes have been lost or changed so I ended up creating one of my own which embraces my Little's and my favorite combo: peanut butter and chocolate. These fudgie peanut butter bars are cheap, easy to make, require NO BAKING and are delicious!


Bars:
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup peanut butter

Topping:
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons peanut butter


Bars:
1.) In a large bowl, melt the butter until very soft but not quite liquid.
2.) Mix graham cracker crumbs, confectioners' sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter with melted butter until well mixed. It should be a paste consistency.
3.) Press mixture evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.

Topping:
1.) Melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter in a medium sized, microwave safe bowl, stirring occasionally until smooth.
2.) Spread over the prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

REMINDER: This recipe is not suitable for children under one year of age because the peanut butter may (but not necessarily will) pose an allergy risk. For more information, check out http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-baby/PR00029




Let your kids help out on this one--mixing and stirring is fun for them, as is the part where you press the crust into the pan. It can be messy but provides a very good time for your Littles. So get messy, add them to summer activities, eat these bars in moderation (they're pretty fattening!) but enjoy!

Cheers to a gorgeous summer!