Peanut Butter Bars with Chocolate Ganache

Everyone loves dessert and these rich chocolatey bars are no different.  First of all, they boast my personal favorite flavor combo of peanut butter and chocolate.  Secondly, they're wonderfully decadent whether served at room temperature, chilled, or slightly warmed with a big glass of cold milk.  They're easy to put together and even easier to pack up, making them the perfect "non brownie" dessert to complete a meal for a neighbor in need...or maybe your husband who claims the whole tray so he can have treats at the office all week!

1 1/4 cups creamy peanut butter

1 stick butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup syrup

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup heavy cream

12 ounces milk chocolate chips

1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350.  Coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.

Cream peanut butter, butter, and brown sugar in a mixer until light and fluffy.  Add syrup, eggs, and vanilla and beat until combined.  Add flour, baking powder, and salt, mixing until just combined.  Spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake bars until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes.  Let cool completely, about 1 hour, before topping.

To make the ganache topping, heat cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until steaming.  Add chocolate chips and whisk until smooth.  Remove from heat and pour over bars.  Sprinkle with chopped peanuts.  Let ganache set up for about an hour before cutting into bars.

To make it travel-ready:  Simply bake these yummy bars in a foil pan.  No muss, no fuss!