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Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Source of Recipe

From "Cook With Me" by Alex Guarnaschelli


Recipe Introduction

"These are like the best possible version of a chocolate-peanut butter candy bar. Take a bite and you get a distinct layer of chocolate (not too sweet) and then a distinct layer of peanut butter (creamy, toasty, nutty). It's sublime. I cut these into bars or wedges and keep them in the fridge because I like them best when they're just a little cooler than room temperature. You could also freeze them for a few hours and serve them extra-cold. For the cookie crumbs, use a chocolatey and not too buttery cookie—I like chocolate wafer cookies. You want a cookie that has a cocoa note but not much else. It's the pleasantly bitter, almost tart, flavor note that serves to break up the sweetness. You can break the cookies up by putting them in a sealed plastic bag and crushing them with a rolling pin or by pulsing them a couple of times in a food processor."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 11 tablespoons (1 stick plus 3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
â—¦ 2 cups (8 to 9 ounces) finely ground chocolate cookie crumbs
â—¦ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
â—¦ 16 ounces full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
â—¦ ½ cup sugar
â—¦ 2 large eggs
â—¦ ¾ cup (8 ounces) smooth peanut butter
â—¦ ½ cup heavy cream
â—¦ 3 ½ ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (a generous ½ cup)


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.

Make the crust: Brush the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with about 1 tablespoon of the melted butter. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining melted butter with the cookie crumbs and cinnamon, and stir to combine. Transfer the crumbs to the buttered pan and press them into an even layer over the bottom of the pan (not up the sides). Use a cup measure or a glass to press the crumbs down firmly. Place the pan in the oven on the center rack and bake until the crust is firm, 15 to 18 minutes. Set the pan aside to let the crust cool for at least 20 minutes. Keep the oven on.

Make the peanut butter filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until completely smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs and peanut butter, and beat on medium-high speed until smooth. Pour the filling over the cooled crust, using a spatula to spread it out evenly, and place the pan back in the oven. Bake until the filling is firm and doesn't jiggle when you gently shake the pan, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and set it aside to cool for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

Make the chocolate top: In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl, set it over the saucepan like a makeshift double boiler (the bottom of the bowl shouldn't touch the cream), and shut the heat off completely. Stir the chocolate from time to time as it melts. When the cream is warm and the chocolate is somewhat melted, take the bowl off the saucepan, pour the cream over the chocolate, and stir until blended. If the cream and chocolate are at similar temperatures, the result is a glossier ganache! Gently spread the chocolate over the peanut butter layer in the springform pan and refrigerate until the chocolate is firm, at least 2 hours.

Serve: Unlatch and remove the sides of the springform pan. Warm a knife in hot water, wipe it dry, and cut a narrow wedge of the bar, as you would cut a slice of cake. Repeat, warming the knife and wiping it dry before each cut so the bars look neat and the layers show up distinctly; you should get 16 wedges. The bars can be stored in a sealed plastic container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Makes 16 slices