Peanut Butter Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Recipes

CHOCOLATE AND CARAMEL PEANUT COOKIE BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F (350°F for dark or nonstick pans).
• In medium bowl, stir together cookie mix, oil, water and egg until soft dough forms. Press dough in bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish.
• Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
• Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, melt caramels with sweetened condensed milk over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to make sure bottom does not burn. Add peanut butter; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 cup of the peanuts.
• Pour caramel mixture over baked crust. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup peanuts evenly over top. Cool 2 hours. Cut into 6 rows by 4 rows.

PEANUT BUTTER CARAMEL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, leaving foil overhanging at 2 opposite sides of pan; spray with cooking spray. Make peanut butter cookie dough as directed on pouch. Press dough evenly in bottom of pan.
• Make chocolate chip cookie dough as directed on pouch. Drop dough by spoonfuls over peanut butter cookie dough. Using metal spatula, evenly spread dough to cover peanut butter cookie dough layer.
• Bake 25 to 28 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and edges are set. Remove from oven to cooling rack. Cool 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, heat caramels and whipping cream over medium heat, stirring constantly, 5 to 10 minutes or until caramels are melted. Remove from heat. Spread over warm cookie base. Bake about 5 minutes or until caramel is set in center. Return to cooling rack.
• Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over top. Let stand 5 minutes; spread melted chips evenly over top. Refrigerate bars until chocolate is firm, about 3 hours.
• Let bars stand 30 minutes before cutting. Remove bars from pan by lifting foil; peel foil away. Cut into 8 rows by 5 rows. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

PEANUT BUTTER CARAMEL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9X13-inch baking pan with foil (the foil part is optional but helps the bars come out in one big slab after cooling, if that's your thing) and spray liberally with nonstick cooking spray.
• Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar together in a large bowl until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add the flour, salt and baking soda and mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Spread or press about half (or just slightly more than half) of the batter in the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 8-9 minutes.
• While the cookie dough base is baking, add the caramels and cream to a microwave-safe bowl (you can also heat on low on the stovetop in a saucepan) and microwave for 1-minute increments at 50% power, stirring in between, until the caramel is melted and smooth. Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla extract.
• Drizzle the caramel mixture over the top of the baked cookie dough and spread evenly.
• Pinch the remaining cookie dough between your fingers and crumble over the top of the caramel.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes until the bars are puffed and the edges are slightly golden.
• Let the bars cool completely before cutting into squares.