Peanut Butter Cookie Brookies

I rarely go to Costco, but I'm always amazed when I do.  Why not buy five pounds of gummy bears?  Surely I can eat 3 jugs of honey.

It's a store full of things I don't need but want.  The employees help you find more unneeded but desirable things by giving out copious samples.  

The last time in my life I regularly went to Costco I would buy a jug of salsa and a block of cheddar cheese.  I would make grilled cheese sandwiches and dip them in salsa for a couple weeks.

Another amazing thing about Costco is the food court.  Where else can you buy a jumbo slice of pizza for $1.50?  

The peanut butter cookie layer came from a blog called Something Swanky.  The brownie recipe came from food.com.  I've made the brownies before, and it's solid.

The peanut butter layer ingredients are 1 cup creamy peanut butter, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, and 1 large egg.

The brownie layer requires 1/2 cup melted butter, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup M and Ms.

For the peanut butter layer, I added the brown sugar, white sugar, peanut butter, and egg into a bowl.

I stirred the ingredients together and spread them into a lined and greased nine inch square pan.  I baked this layer for ten minutes at 350 degrees, but I should have baked it for only five minutes.

For the  brownie layer, I combined the melted butter and cocoa powder.  I stirred until there were no lumps.

I stirred in the white sugar.

I stirred in the eggs one at a time.

I added the vanilla, flour, and salt and stirred thoroughly.  

I incorporated half of a cup of chocolate M and Ms into the batter.

I poured the brownie batter over the partially baked peanut butter layer.  I sprinkled a handful of M and Ms on the brownies.

I baked the brownies for another 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

I let the brookies cool before slicing them into squares.

The brownie layer was chewy, dense, and deep.

The candies provided texture and crunch.

The peanut butter layer was rich and stood up well under the thick layer of brownie.  The peanut butter cookie layer wasn't crunchy, fortunately, but it wasn't as tender as the brownie layer.  I should have only baked it separately for 5 minutes or not baked it at all.

Overall, the bars were scrumptious.   Peanut butter and chocolate are enticing flavors that don't disappoint in these bars.  They were thick, substantial bars that easily sated my chocolate craving.