Chocolate Peanut Butter Filled Oat Bars

About 4 dozen bars

Prep time: 20 min.
Baking time: 25 min.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 - cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 - cup Creamy Peanut Butter, divided
• 2 - cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 - eggs
• 1 - teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-1/2 - cups quick-cooking rolled oats, uncooked
• 2-1/2 - cups all-purpose flour
• 1 - teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 - teaspoon salt
• CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER FILLING (recipe follows)
• 1-2/3 cups (10-ounces package) Peanut Butter Chips, divided
• 1-1/2 teaspoons shortening (do not use butter, margarine, spread or oil)

Directions:

1. Beat butter and 3/4 cup peanut butter in large bowl until well blended; beat in brown sugar. 
   Add eggs and vanilla, beating until well blended.
2. Stir together oats, flour, baking soda and salt.  
3. Gradually stir into butter mixture. (Dough will be thick.) 
4. Set aside 2 cups dough.
5. Press remaining dough onto bottom of ungreased 15-1/2x10-1/2x1-inch jelly-roll pan. 
6. Prepare CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER FILLING and spread over dough.
7. Set aside 1/2 cup peanut butter chips for drizzle. 
8. Add remaining peanut butter chips to reserved dough.  
9. Crumble mixture over filling.
10. Bake 25 minutes or until top is golden brown (chocolate will be soft). Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
11. Place reserved 1/2 cup peanut butter chips and shortening in small microwave-safe bowl. 
12. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 30 seconds and stir.
13. If necessary, microwave an additional 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred.
14. Drizzle over bars; allow drizzle to set. Cut into bars.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER FILLING

Ingredients:

• 1/2 - cup Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1/3 - cup butter or margarine
• 1/2 - cup Cocoa
• 1 - can (14-ounces) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
• 1-1/2 - teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Melt peanut butter and butter in medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in cocoa.
2. Add sweetened condensed milk; heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and thick.
3. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla.

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