Holiday Nutty Buddy Bars

I can’t remember where I first saw any mention of the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, but as soon as I read about it, I immediately signed up.

Once I signed up, I began searching for my cookie recipe. Once I received the names of my three cookie recipients, I baked, packaged, and eagerly waited for packages of cookies to arrive on my doorstep!

Before I present my cookie recipe, I wanted to share the delicious cookies that I received.

First off, Monster cookies courtesy of Maggie at The Bitchin’ Kitchen.

Oats and peanut butter go together so well. And these were probably the chewiest cookies I have ever had!

Next up:Speculoos from Susan @ The Girl in The Little Red Kitchen.

Check out the gorgeous wrapping job! I was seriously impressed. These Belgian spice cookies reminded me of gingersnaps. I love molasses so these were a perfect cookie for me.

Last but not least, Grandma Behn’s Molasses Cookies from Alison @ My Life, An Adventure.

Another pretty wrapping job! I could seriously take some wrapping and packaging directions from these two. These molasses cookies were chewy and spicy.

Now for the recipe that I baked.

Some of my friends and I take turns hosting a monthly Supper Club. At one of these dinners, my friend Tess made Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares. After devouring my body weight in sweet and sticky peanut butter oaty goodness, I asked for the recipe.

She actually gave me the cookbook with the recipe for Christmas last year! I modified the recipe to make it more festive by by swapping out some of the chocolate chips for M&Ms.

Two things I love about these unique bar cookie: The addition of sweetened condesnsed milk. One of the best baking ingredients. Period. The second awesome thing about this recipe is that the same batter serves as the bottom layer and the crumble topping!

Holiday Nutty Buddy Bars

(adapted from Easy Chocolate cookbook)

Yield: 30 bars

Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature

1 3/4 cup brown sugar

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup M&Ms

1 egg, beaten

14 oz sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup peanut butter (commercial brand not natural)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F

Mix flour and baking powder in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat in the butter. Add brown sugar and oats.

Set aside a quarter of the mixture and stir in chocolate chips and M&Ms.

Stir the egg into the remaining 3/4 of the mixture. Press into a 12X8 greased pan and baked for 15 minutes.

Mix together the sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter.

After the first layer is baked, spread milk and peanut mixture on top. Sprinkle with oat and chocolate mixture and baked for 20 minutes.

Let cool completely. Cut into bars.

It’s not too early to think about participating in the Great Blogger Cookie Swap next year. Click here to start receiving notices about next year’s swap. I can’t wait to participate again in 364 days:)

Question: Do you participate in cooking swaps at the holidays? In addition to the Great Blogger Cookie Swap, I had an office cookie swap today at work. I received 15 different kinds of cookies to sample!

Tagged as: christmas, cookie swap, m&ms, molasses, peanut butter