Candy Bar Cookie Bars

If you like chocolate and peanut butter -- you will LOVE these bars.  They are slightly reminiscent of the peanut butter rice crispy bars that Molly posted a while back -- a jazzed up version.

Candy Bar Cookie Bars
Source: RecipeGirl.com


Cookie Layer:
1 cup (packed) brown sugar
2/3 cup butter
¼ cup corn syrup
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 ½ cups quick-cooking rolled oats


Candy Bar Layer:
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (12 ounces)
1 cup peanut butter chips
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup chopped peanuts


Topping:
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup peanut butter chips
1/3 cup chopped peanuts


1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 13×9-inch pan with foil; spray foil with nonstick spray.


2. In a medium saucepan, stir brown sugar, butter and corn syrup over medium heat until combined. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla; stir until smooth.


3. Place oats in a very large bowl. Pour brown sugar mixture over oats; stir to combine. Press oat mixture onto the bottom of prepared pan.


4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until golden. Don’t overbake (you don’t want it to brown) or it will be on the crunchy side. Let the cookie layer cool for about 15 minutes on a wire rack.


5. In the same saucepan, stir chips and peanut butter over low heat until melted and smooth.


6. Sprinkle ½ cup of chopped peanuts over the baked cookie layer. Pour chocolate over the peanuts; spread to make an even layer. Sprinkle chocolate and peanut butter chips and peanuts over the top; press lightly into the chocolate layer.


7. Refrigerate until firm; cut into squares.


Yield: About 30 pieces