Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars

If you were lucky like I was, we had some amazing lunch ladies that made some of the best lunches. Alas, kids these days won't know how good food could be. Anyway, one of these items was a peanut butter bar dessert, and oh my goodness... it was such a prized item. If you were lucky, sometimes they'd let you come grab another one if lunch was just about over and they had extra (also rare). Keep in mind that this is for a jelly roll sized portion. If you would like to make a 9x 13 size portion, just cut the recipe in half. Here's what you'll need to make about 24 large or 48 small bars:

Photo byErin

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar firmly packed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2½ cups peanut butter divided
• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 Tablespoons cocoa powder
• 3 cups powdered sugar

Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the vanilla, eggs, and 1 cup of peanut butter until well combined.

Add the oats, flour, baking soda, and salt, mixing until everything is thoroughly combined.

Lightly spray a jelly roll baking sheet (approximately 17.8 x 12.8 x 1 inch) with nonstick spray, then spread the dough evenly across the pan.

Bake for 15 minutes and then remove from the oven.

Drop the remaining 1 1/2 cups of peanut butter in small spoonfuls (a baby spoon works well) over the warm bars. Let the peanut butter sit for 5-6 minutes to soften, then gently spread it across the bars once it’s melted enough to spread smoothly—avoid spreading while it’s still thick.

Allow the bars to cool completely until the peanut butter has set.

Meanwhile, prepare the frosting by mixing the ingredients with a hand mixer until smooth. Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled bars.

Slice into bars and enjoy!!