Chocolate P-Nut Butter Squares

Chocolate and Peanut Butter... mmmm, don't you just love that combination??!

These are my Chocolate P-Nut Butter Squares from Vive. The photo didn't come out quite as clear as I would have liked. Normally, the p-nut butter layer is a little more visible, however I made this batch using carob chips instead of chocolate chips for the chocolate 'ganache' topping (simply because I prefer giving carob to my - now almost 5 year old - daughter).

Anyhow, the carob chips work quite nicely and are a fine substitution, though they don't produce as smooth and firm a topping as the dark chocolate does. So when you cut through the bars, the top layer cuts into the p-nut butter layer a smidgen. No biggie, they still taste divine!

Anyhow, you start by making the oat base layer for the bars (bowl and spoon mixing). This base is lightly baked, and then topped with the peanut butter layer which is combined on the stovetop (yay, Leslie!). This layer is then topped off with the smooth chocolate layer.

With a few steps involved, you may not make these bars for a quick cookie fix. But... they aren't difficult to make, just require those few steps and a little extra pot cleaning - worth it for a special cookie treat! :)