Peanut Butter Cup S'mores Bars

A few of you have noticed that I've put the "dessert" portion of my blogging on hold for a little bit. I've still tried to deliver at least 3 new dinner/lunch recipes for you to try during my hiatus, but I miss the sweets. 

My main reason was because a lot of us are trying to "stick to our resolutions" by cutting down our sugar, and I didn't want people to get out the pitchforks. 

But then I realized - I've still been making desserts on weekends, and the recipes are piling up! So if you have a cheat day, or still need a little bite of something sugary sweet every day, this blondie is back on the sugar wagon with y'all. 

What a fun place to start, eh? PEANUT freaking BUTTER CUPS. They are by far my favorite candy (okay, Peanut M&Ms take #1, but these are a very close second). Throwing them in a bar with marshmallow and graham cracker-blondie crust? It's out of control awesome, and worth every piece you sneak for yourself before sharing them.

Peanut Butter Cup S'mores Bars
makes one 8x8 pan

ingredients:
1/2 C unsalted butter, softened
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla extract
1 1/4 C flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 C graham cracker crumbs
16 peanut butter cups, regular size, wrapper removed (hopefully)
1 1/2 C marshmallow fluff

method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8x8 glass baking dish with parchment paper and a little spritz of cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars until fluffy and lighter in color.
3. Beat in egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
4. With mixer on low, slowly add in flour, baking soda, salt, and graham cracker crumbs until mixed. Resist, if you can, eating it. Crack, I tell you.
5. Press 2/3 of the dough in the bottom of the baking dish. Lightly press the peanut butter cups into the dough, and then dollop marshmallow fluff on top. Spreading that stuff is nearly impossible, so spray your spatula with a little cooking spray, and you should be able to spread it a little easier.
6. Press the remaining dough over marshmallow layer (working in clumbs in random places, and then spreading it all together).
7. Bake 30 minutes, or until edges begin to brown. Throw in the fridge for about an hour. Remove from pan by lifting by parchment edges, and slice with a warm knife into bars or squares.

recipe source: mels sweet life