No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

By gbvampy1

These do require chill time to firm up so you will need to plan ahead.
Make ahead: these can be made several days (5-7) in advance and stored tightly covered (after the chocolate has set) in the refrigerator. Or freeze tightly covered for up to 2 months.
Be sure to get the graham crackers to a very fine crumb. Use a food processor for this. I have a mini food processor that works great for these small tasks!
Don't use the natural stir and refrigerate kind of peanut butter for these bars. It is a little too runny and the bars don't hold up quite as well.
For a truer to Reese's flavor use milk chocolate chips. But if you are like me go on the wild side and use semi-sweet or dark or use a combination!

Ingredients

• Base:
• 1/2 1/2 1/2 cup (113g) butter, melted
• 2 2 2 cups (190g) powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 cup (400g) creamy peanut butter
• 1 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 cup (140g) graham cracker crumbs
• Topping:
• 1 1 1 cup (165g) milk chocolate chips
• 3 3 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butte

Preparation

Step 1

Line a 9 inch square baking pan with foil and grease with butter, set aside.
In a large bowl combine all the base ingredients and spread into the bottom of the prepared pan.

In a small microwave safe bowl heat topping ingredients until melted. Stir frequently and don't overheat. Spread over the peanut butter base and refrigerate until cool. (At least 4 hours)

For easier cutting allow bars to sit at room temperature (this way the chocolate topping doesn't crack) Using foil lift the bars out of the pan and with a sharp knife to cut into small squares. Store in the refrigerator.