Recipe - Chocolate peanut butter shortbread squares

Stephanie Piché of Greater Sudbury’s LEGACY Events & Catering says this “is one the easiest bar recipes that I have found and it always gets great reviews. This is a perfect one to get kids baking on a rainy day.”


Yield: 12 Squares
Vegetable Oil Spray
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 cups all purpose flour
12 oz milk chocolate, melted
1-1/4 tsp coarse salt
1 cup creamy peanut butter
8 oz unsalted butter, softened

Preparation instructions:

Coat a brownie baking pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides and coat parchment with spray.

Sift flour and salt into a medium bowl. Beat butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. With the mixer running, add sugar, and beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, beating until just incorporated. Press dough evenly into pan. Cover, and refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees farenheit. Bake shortbread until golden brown and firm in center, 45 to 50 minutes. Let shortbread cool in pan on a wire rack.

Use parchment to unmold shortbread from pan and trim edges. Spread peanut butter evenly on shortbread.

Spread melted chocolate on top of the peanut butter layer and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Cut shortbread into squares. Shortbread will keep, covered, for up to 3 days.