Jo and Sue: Peanut Butter Dulce De Leche Cookie bar

If you looked up "sweet" in the dictionary then I'm pretty sure you would find a photo of this square.

I'm not complaining, mind you.

Just warning you.

If you thought the combination of peanut butter and chocolate was heaven then wait until you try peanut butter and chocolate AND dulce de leche..of yeah...with some more peanut butter and chocolate chips thrown in for good measure.

See....told you it was sweet.

Peanut Butter Dulce De Leche Cookie Bar

(Slightly adapted from Baking Joy)

Ingredients

Bottom Layer

1 cup butter, room temp

2 1/2 cups peanut butter (smooth)

1/2 cup icing sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1 Tbsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 3/4 cup flour

1 cup peanut butter chips

1/2 cup chocolate chips, dark chocolate

Middle Layer

1 tin sweetened condensed milk

1 cup peanut butter, smooth

Top Layer

1 cup chocolate chips, milk chocolate

1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions

Prepare middle layer first - In a large pot, completely cover the can of sweetened condensed milk with water. Bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Simmer can for 3 hours. Make sure can remains completely covered with water. After 3 hours, turn off heat and set aside to cool. When completely cool, remove lid and you should have dulce de leche! (You can, of course, just buy a can of dulce de leche if it is available to you.)

Prepare bottom layer - Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9 X 13 pan with parchment paper, spray with cooking spray, set aside.

In a large bowl, beat butter and peanut butter until smooth. Beat in sugars. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, whisk together baking soda, baking powder, flour, peanut butter chips, and dark chocolate chips.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Press dough into the prepared 9 X 13 pan. (**NOTE - I did not use all of the dough. I pressed about 3/4th of the dough into the pan and made cookies with the rest!! I didn't want the bottom to be too thick!)

Bake at 350 for 15 - 20 minutes, until brown around the outside and appears dry.

Set aside to cool completely.

When cool, mix the dulce de leche and the cup of peanut butter together until smooth. Spread this mixture over the bottom layer.

Chill for at least 20 minutes.

Prepare top layer - In microwave safe bowls, separately melt the milk chocolate chips and the white chocolate chips. Drizzle the two different chocolates over the dulce de leche layer.