Whole Wheat Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars. What a mouthful!

I know, the name of this recipe is quite long. But really, I don't think there's any easier way to describe it! This is yet another recipe from Andrea's Recipes for her Whole Wheat Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars. They are indeed as tasty as they sound!!! It's like a Reese's peanut butter cup melted on top of an oatmeal cookie crust. Amazing!!

I kind of screwed up the recipe at first... when making the cookie crust, I forgot to add the eggs and peanut butter (oops!). In Andrea's recipe, she makes a note that the dough for the cookie is really really sticky. Well, mine wasn't so sticky and I thought, "hmm that's funny..." So, just before throwing it in the oven, I took another glance at the recipe and realized, EEK! I forgot to add the egg and peanut butter, the ingredients that would indeed make the dough sticky. Phew!

Anyway, I creamed the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together. Then added the egg and peanut butter (after I screwed it up initially). In a separate bowl, I combined the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt, and then added this to the wet mixture.


See, this is how it looked before I added the egg and peanut butter... it's not sticky!!


You may realize by now, my love for Smart Balance. Oh yes, it even extends beyond buttery spread. I used Smart Balance peanut butter for this recipe, with omega-3s!!


Once I corrected my mistake, I pressed the dough into a 9x13 pan (greased).


While it was baking, I put together the glaze.... peanut butter, confectioner's sugar, and milk. Oooh, look how it drizzles...


After the cookie came out of the oven...


I added a 12 oz. bag of chocolate chips on top... they started to melt!!



Then, I drizzled the glaze on top.... or in my case, globbed it on.


At this point, the chocolate chips were melting all over the cookie, the glaze was dripping everywhere, it smelled amazing, and I just wanted to dig in right there!!!


I had to wait for it to cool before cutting into it.... I HAD TO!!!!! But could I? Really?


I decided to actually stick it in the fridge so the chocolate and glaze would cool down enough to make it easier to cut. I couldn't wait any longer!!! If you're a fan of peanut butter at all, this will be your favorite dessert. And with the whole wheat flour and oats, plus the omega-3s in the peanut butter, it can't be THAT bad for you, right??? Yeah... riiiight...



Whole Wheat Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
from Andrea's Recipes

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup quick oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
3-4 Tbsp milk (depending on how much it takes to make a drizzle-able glaze consistency)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add the egg and peanut butter. Stir to ensure everything is incorporated.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Add this to the butter mixture and stir until completely combined.
4. Press the dough into a greased 9x13 pan using wet fingers. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes.
5. While it is baking, make the glaze by combining the last three ingredients, adjusting the amount of milk to make a smooth consistency that can be drizzled.
6. Remove pan from oven, and add the chocolate chips to the top. They will start melting!!
7. Drizzle the glaze on top of the chocolate chip layer.
8. Let it cool completely before cutting into pieces. THEN YOU WILL DIE AND GO TO HEAVEN!