No Bake Peanut Butter & Chocolate Bars from @KorinaMossAuthor

Korina Moss: With everyone bringing pies for Thanksgiving, I decided to make something that's really good to bring to any holiday party --  these no-bake peanut butter and chocolate bars. They're not only easy to make, they're easy to transport, and they feed a crowd. The kids at Thanksgiving said they tasted like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. They hold their shape well after refrigeration and if you can keep from eating them, they last too, so they're also great for giving to neighbors, friends, and teachers for the holidays. 

Ingredients: 

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar

1 cup + 4 TBL smooth peanut butter

1-1/2 cups (1 bag) chocolate chips

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, and 1 cup of the peanut butter until well blended. I used a hand mixer. 

Spread evenly into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. I've also made them in a 9x9 pan so they're thicker. Both ways were delicious, but if you're making for a crowd, go with the bigger pan. 

In the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the 4 TBL of peanut butter, stirring every 30 seconds until it's just melted enough and smooth. 

Pour the chocolate over the peanut butter layer and spread evenly. 

It should look like this when you're finished:

Lick the bowl! LOL. (I dare you not to!)

Refrigerate for at least one hour. I made these at my sister's and refrigerated them overnight. I left them out for a few hours before we dug into them and they were just right. They still cut into bars and the chocolate was still hard. They're delicious to eat cold too, they just might be a little harder to cut. I bet they freeze well, but they've never been around long enough to find out. 

Enjoy and Happy Holidays! 

Readers: Do you like to give baked goods as gifts? 

KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop cozy mystery series set in Sonoma Valley, including the Agatha Award winner of the Best First Novel, Cheddar Off Dead and the finalist for Best Contemporary Novel, Case of the Bleus. Her books have been featured in USA Today, PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World Magazine, Writer's Digest, AARP Magazine, and Fresh Fiction. 

For the past several years, Korina has been on her own Eat, Pray, Love journey, which seems to have stalled at the Eat phase. When not writing or sampling new cheeses (a perk of the job), she can be found with a new favorite cozy, doing jigsaw puzzles, or discovering new travel destinations. She has an affinity (some might say addiction) to coffee mugs, loves cats, and can't pass up a new notebook or journal with all those fresh, empty pages. 

ARE YOU WRITING A MYSTERY?

Korina is also a freelance developmental editor specializing in cozy and traditional mysteries. Using her experience writing her award-winning series for a Big 5 publisher, she has the inside track on what editors, agents, and readers are looking for in a cozy mystery.  Whether you're a new writer hoping to be traditionally or independently published, or you're an established writer wanting some guidance with a manuscript, she can help you strengthen your book. You can find more information on her website and contact her at korinamossauthor@gmail.com. 

The Cheese Shop Mystery series is available wherever books are sold. To find out more and subscribe to my FREE monthly newsletter, visit my website and follow me on Facebook and Instagram.