Chocolate Oatmeal Peanut Butter Bars

I am busy getting ready for a scrapbook weekend. A bunch of us stay at a nearby hotel and rent the conference room. We set up all the tables, spread our stuff out, and scrap, scrap, scrap. We only stop to eat yummy food and make runs to the craft store to buy supplies. It is a ton of fun! I am in charge this time (with my friend Suzanne), so we are planning all the meals. There are so many yummy recipes I want to try that I am having a hard time narrowing down my choices! One thing is certain, there will definitely be chocolate involved.

Every time we go the food is amazing, so I’ve been trying to collect recipes from everyone. These Chocolate Oatmeal Peanut Butter Bars were on the menu last time and they were killer!!
They have an extra layer of peanut butter under the chocolate frosting, and it takes them over the top. I kept eating them even though I wasn’t really hungry just because they were so dang good.
I’m including a recipe for chocolate frosting, but you can use your own, or even a can of frosting if you like.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Oat Bars

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 cups oatmeal

Cream peanut butter, butter, and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients. Mix together and press into a greased large jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool completely and frost with a layer of peanut butter, then chocolate frosting.

3 Tbsp butter, soft

3 Tbsp cocoa

2 cups powdered sugar

dash salt

1 tsp vanilla

2-3 Tbsp milk or buttermilk

Beat butter and cocoa together till smooth. Add powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla. Add enough milk to make a spreadable consistency.

 Notes:
-Softening the peanut butter for frosting is helpful.
-The chocolate frosting and peanut butter have a tendency to mix together a little when frosting. If you prefer they don’t you can refrigerate the bars with peanut butter on them and then frost with the chocolate frosting.