Or in other words, I-don’t-know-what-to-call-these bars. After four days of pondering, I finally gave up on naming them.
I’m completely smitten with these bars. Call it a crush—blinded by love, if you will.
How can I think straight with a mouthful of cookie? Wait—brownie. Blondie. Brookie. See the problem?
Think cookie meets brownie meets blondie meets peanut butter. Delicious. The bottom chocolate chip layer is adapted from my deep-dish cookie recipe, though these are not whole wheat—just a chocolate chip cookie with a little cocoa kick. From there it gets richer: the brownie layer sits in the middle, and the top is a peanut butter blondie. Three words: lots. of. butter.
I’m going to leave the rest to you. Go ahead—try one.
Triple Layer Chocolate Chip–Fudge Brownie–Peanut Butter Blondie Bars
Makes one 9 x 13-inch pan
Chocolate chip layer (adapted from deep-dish cookie recipe)
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon dark cocoa powder (optional)
3/4 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cocoa (if using) and salt.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing until combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, then fold in chocolate chips. Spray a 9×13-inch pan with nonstick spray and press the dough evenly into the bottom of the pan. It will be thin but should just cover the pan—using the back of a nonstick-sprayed spoon helps to press it evenly.
Brownie layer (adapted from a brownie recipe)
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
2/3 cup chocolate chips (optional)
In the mixer bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then add vanilla. With the mixer on medium, add cocoa, flour and salt and mix until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Using a spatula lightly coated with nonstick spray, spread the brownie batter evenly over the chocolate chip layer.
Blondie layer (adapted from a classic blondie recipe)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup peanut butter, melted (crunchy or smooth)
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup peanut butter morsels
In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, melted peanut butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda, then whisk the dry ingredients into the wet batter. Fold in peanut butter morsels and spread the blondie batter evenly on top of the brownie layer.
Place the baking dish on a cookie sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 35–40 minutes, or until the top is just set and the center is slightly soft. If needed, cover with foil for the last 10 minutes to prevent over-browning. Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan before cutting and serving.
I like layered desserts—and these bars are worth the effort.