Holiday Peanut Bars Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Grease two 13x9-in. baking pans., In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour and baking powder; add to creamed mixture alternately with water and milk, beating well after each addition., Transfer to prepared baking pans. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Meanwhile, for frosting, in a large bowl, beat peanut butter and butter until blended. Beat in confectioners' sugar alternately with enough milk to reach spreading consistency., Remove cakes from oven; place on wire racks. Spread frosting over warm cakes; sprinkle with peanuts. Cool completely.

Steps:

• Butter a 9 1/2-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet or quarter sheet pan and line it with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the 2 long sides. Then butter the parchment.
• Whisk the flour, cornstarch, kosher salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine, scraping down the sides as needed. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat on low until the dough is just combined; do not overwork.
• Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, spreading it out as evenly as possible with a silicone spatula. Cover with plastic wrap, then use your hands to press and flatten the dough into a smooth even layer. Pull back the plastic wrap and use a fork to prick the dough all over. Cover again and refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.
• Uncover the dough and bake, rotating the baking sheet from front to back halfway through, until golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Combine the caramels and cream in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour the mixture over the shortbread and spread it evenly. Immediately sprinkle with the peanuts and a large pinch of flaky salt. Gently push down on the topping to make sure it sticks to the caramel. Let cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Use the parchment overhang to gently lift the shortbread and slide it onto a cutting board. Remove the parchment and cut into 24 squares. Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together the butter or margarine, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners' sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
• In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the 4 tablespoons peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.