My Mother's Peanut Butter Cup Bars

In the Thompson home there were a few qualifications for a dessert that would work for us. This one exemplifies the rule: it can be made with chocolate and without chocolate (for those who don't know, I've been allergic to chocolate since I was about 2 years old.) I liked this one especially because if those prepared with out chocolate ran out first, I could easily pop the chocolate top off and eat the lower layer. Yum, yum.


Ingredients

*1 c butter, either room temp (my preference) or melted
*12 oz peanut butter (though I use a 16 oz jar since I can't find 12 oz. Also, I've only used creamy, but I bet it would be yummy with crunchy too)
*1 lb powdered sugar (if you also use a 16 oz jar, I add one extra cup of sugar)
*1 c crushed graham crackers (this is about one sleeve worth, though again, if using 16 oz PB, use a little extra crumbs too)
*1 bag chocolate chips (you can use semi-sweet or milk chocolate - whatever you prefer. Having never eaten chocolate, I don't know the difference - though I made them with milk on Friday for some friends and with semi-sweet on Saturday for other friends and they both received compliments.)

Instructions

Mix the butter and peanut butter until totally smooth. Add the graham cracker crumbs until again totally smooth. Add the powdered sugar and mix until it's seems like it's a bit dry, the mixture is kind of crumbly, if that makes sense. That's when you know you added enough sugar.

Spread the mixture into a cookie sheet or a 9"x13" cake pan depending on the thickness and the quantity of the bars you want out of the recipe.

Melt the chocolate chips. I use a double boiler, but everyone has their method that they like best. Spread the chocolate over the PB mixture (don't forget to leave some w/o chocolate for me).

Allow them to cool in the fridge, or if the season permits, in the garage on top of the car like my mother did.

Once the chocolate has cooled and hardened, cut up the individual bars (I use a pizza cutter), and serve.

(They don't have to be stored in the fridge, but it doesn't hurt.)