Peanut Butter and Chocolate Shortbread Bars

These peanut butter and chocolate shortbread bars are layered with a crumbly peanut filled shortbread on the bottom, a creamy peanut butter filling in the middle, and a luscious chocolate ganache on top. 

These peanut butter and chocolate shortbread bars are easy to make, and will probably pretty much disappear the minute you set out the platter.

Each bar is like a peanut butter cup but with a crumbly peanut-filled shortbread cookie bottom. The filling is fluffy and light, and the easy-to-make dark chocolate ganache is smooth and shiny.

These bars pack a lot of salty sweet peanut butter and chocolate flavor into each little square.

Shopping list for peanut butter and chocolate shortbread bars

You probably have all of the ingredients on hand to make these bars, with possibly the exception of 5 ounces of bittersweet chocolate for the ganache and the unsalted peanuts for the shortbread crust. The rest of the ingredients include: 

• butter
• granulated sugar
• salt
• all-purpose flour
• peanut butter
• confectioner's sugar
• heavy cream

You will also need: 

• aluminum foil for lining the pan
• a straight sided 9 inch by 13 inch metal pan
• a food processor (I used a mini food processor) for chopping the peanuts
• a stand mixer (preferably) or hand mixer for making the fluffy peanut butter filling
• an offset spatula for spreading the peanut butter filling and ganache

How to make these peanut butter and chocolate shortbread bars:

First, you make the shortbread crust. Mix melted butter, granulated sugar, salt, and flour, along with some finely chopped unsalted peanuts. 

Press the mixture into a foil-lined metal cake pan and refrigerate it before baking. Next, you bake the shortbread for about 20 minutes, and then let it cool. 

After that, you make the peanut butter filling by whipping a cup of peanut butter with some butter and confectioner's sugar. Spread it over the cooled short bread.

Finally, make the ganache. Chop the chocolate and pour some boiling heavy cream over it. Let it sit for three minutes and stir the mixture until smooth and creamy. You'll worry at first that it won't come together, but it will. 

Spread the chocolate over the peanut butter filling and let it set for several hours. 

Lift the whole thing out of the pan by using the foil as a sling, and cut into 1 1/2 inch bars with a large chef's knife. 

As you can see, the crust is really crumbly. This is a good thing! You need to try these. 

Happy #PBchocSat! Thank you to Erin from The Spiffy Cookie for organizing this event, and Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla for the assist! Satisfy your peanut butter and chocolate cravings by checking out all the recipes we made:

• Buckeye Trail Mix by The Spiffy Cookie
• A #PBChocSat Twofer: Dangerous Cupcakes and Homemade Snickers by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Buckeye Crunch Popcorn by Palatable Pastime
• Vegan Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cupcakes by The Baking Fairy
• Muddy Buddy Rice Krispie Treats by Kate's Recipe Box
• Peanut Butter and Chocolate Strudel by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Peanut Butter and Chocolate Shortbread Bars by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Bundt Cake by The Redhead Baker
• Peanut Butter and Chocolate Nice Cream by Cooking With Carlee
• Keto Peanut Butter Cups by Our Good Life
• Classic Peanut Butter Chocolate-Filled Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Shortbread Bars

Yield: 48 bars

Author: Karen Kerr

These peanut butter and chocolate shortbread bars are layered with a crumbly peanut filled shortbread on the bottom, a creamy peanut butter filling in the middle, and a luscious chocolate ganache on top.

ingredients:

For the Shortbread

• 7 ounces (14 tablespoons) of butter, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 9 1/2 ounces (2 cups plus 2 tablespoons) unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, finely chopped (8 pulses in a mini food processor)

For the Peanut Butter Filling

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) room temperature butter
• 6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) confectioner's sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Ganache

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

instructions:

How to make Peanut Butter and Chocolate Shortbread Bars

To Make the Shortbread

1. Line a 9 inch by 13 inch straight-sided metal pan with aluminum foil. 
2. Stir the butter, sugar, and salt together. 
3. Stir in the flour and chopped peanuts and press the dough into the pan with your hands into an even layer. 
4. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes while preheating the oven to 325 degrees F. 
5. Bake the shortbread for 20 minutes, and then decrease the oven temperature to 300 degrees F and bake for 20 minutes more. 
6. Cool completely. 

To Make the Peanut Butter Filling

1. Beat the peanut butter and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer for one minute. Add 1/2 of the confectioner's sugar and the vanilla, plus one tablespoon of hot water. 
2. Beat on low until combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about one minute.
3. Add the rest of the sugar and mix for another minute, until smooth. 
4. Spread the mixture over the shortbread with an offset spatula. 

For the Ganache and Final Assembly

1. Boil the heavy cream and pour it over the chopped chocolate. 
2. Let the mixture sit for 3 minutes. 
3. Stir the mixture until smooth. 
4. Pour the mixture over the peanut butter filling and spread with an offset spatula. 
5. Let the ganache cool for at least 3 hours. 
6. Gently lift the whole thing out of the pan and place it on a cutting board. 
7. Cut into 1 1/2 inch squares with a large chef's knife. 
8. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. 

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2019/08/peanut-butter-and-chocolate-shortbread.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

dessert, peanut butter, chocolate

Dessert

American

Created using The Recipes Generator

This recipe was adapted from Fine Cooking, Issue 82

More chocolate and peanut butter recipes:

• Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
• No Churn Peanut Butter Ice Cream
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Whirligig Cookies
• E.T. Cookies
• Peanut Butter Cup Brownies