Spooky Peanut Butter Bars by Butternut and Sage

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ sticks salted butter, melted and browned
• 2 cups creamy peanut butter
• ¾ cup dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated white sugar
• 2 large eggs + 1 extra egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup Reese's peanut butter chips

FOR THE BUTTER CREAM FROSTING

• 4 tablespoons salted butter at room temperature
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream (add more if needed)

FOR THE WHITE CHOCOLAT GHOSTS

• 1 cup white chocolate chips

FOR THE MARSHMALLOW SPIDER WEB

• 2 cups marshmallows, melted

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a medium sauce pan over medium high heat, add the butter for the cookie bars. Stir frequently until the butter begins to turn a deep brown, about 5 minutes or so. Take off the heat and allow the browned butter to cool for 10 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl cream together ½ cup of the peanut butter, the brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla, eggs and egg yolk. Add the browned butter and whisk well until everything is incorporated and creamy. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until all the flour is incorporated. Fold in the Reese's peanut butter chips. Press and spread the dough in the prepared baking pan. The dough will be thick. Bake the cookie bars for 20-25 minutes, or until the center is set. If it appears slightly under baked that's okay. As the cookies cool they will harden and become chewy. Dollop the remaining 1 ½ cups of peanut butter over the cookie bars and allow to cool completely.
4. Start on the chocolate butter cream. In a stand mixer add the room temperature butter, powdered sugar, cocoa, vanilla and warmed heavy cream. Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes or so. Taste adding more powdered sugar if necessary. Reserve ½ tablespoon of the icing to make the faces on the ghosts. Smooth the butter cream frosting over the peanut butter and place the cookie bars in the refrigerator to chill for 45 minutes.
5. To make the white chocolate ghosts- add the white chocolate chips to a microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 second intervals. Stir, and repeat until all the chips are melted. Line an additional tray with parchment paper. Drop teaspoons of melted white chocolate onto the parchment lined baking tray and use the back of the teaspoon to smear the white chocolate dollops downwards to create the ghost shape. Place the tray in the refrigerator to chill with the cookie bars.
6. Once the cookie bars are set make the marshmallow webbing. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the marshmallows for 30 second intervals, stirring between each addition until melted and smooth. Allow to cool for 3 minutes. Using your hands, spread the melted marshmallow in as many directions as possible over the cookie bars to create the spider web. It will be messy and very sticky but have fun with it!
7. Cut the cookie bars, then decorate with the hardened white chocolate ghosts and Halloween sprinkles. Make sure the ghosts are where you want them before pressing them down, as the marshmallow will be very sticky! Serve and enjoy.