Peanutty Gooey Bars

These bars are good. Seriously Good.

Does anyone else acquire used cookbooks on a pretty regular basis? I always seem to end up with a new(to me) cookbook in my hands. Last month I was over at my aunt and uncle's house and left with 2 or 3 cookbooks and a handful of other books to read. One of those cookbooks is full of Nestle Tollhouse recipes. How can you go wrong with Tolhouse? May not be gourmet, but it's always good.

I found this recipe for Peanutty Gooey Bars in the Nestle Tollhouse book. I woke up a few Sundays ago and had the urge to throw together a yummy treat. I read the recipe name to Matt and his first words were Oh my God, those sound great. Make them. So I did and he was right, they not only sounded great but the tasted great. These are very similar to a Hello Dolly... but better. The recipe is super simple. It comes together in no time. This kind of treat would make a perfect addition to an open house type of gather or a potluck at work.

I did make a few changes to the recipe. I cut back on the nuts and added some chopped PB M&Ms. Also, after I took it out of the oven I decided to add some extra Chocolate (used a mixture of milk and dark) and PB chips while it cooled.

Peanutty Gooey Bars

Crust:

2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened

1/3 cup granulated sugar

Toppings:

1 Cup each Peanut Butter Chips Chocolate Chips (plus extra to sprinkle on top if desired)

1 can (14 ounces) Nestle Carnation Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts

1/2 cup chopped PB M&Ms

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray 8-inch square pan with vegetable cooking spray.

For Crust:

Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar in medium bowl; press onto bottom of ungreased 13 X 9-inch baking pan.

For Topping:

Microwave 1 cup morsels, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract in medium microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power 1 minute; stir. Microwave additional 10- to 15-second intervals stirring until smooth. Pour evenly over crust. Top with nuts and remaining morsels. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until edges are bubbly.

Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.
Makes: 2 dozen