Pirates Pantry

Plundering the seven seas for grub worth preserving

Pirate's Bounty PB Max Bars

dessertbakedvegetarianmake-aheadcomfort-foodamerican

Prep
25 min
Cook
20 min
Total
1 hour 20 min
Servings
9

For the Whole Grain Cookie / Cookie Crumbles

Don't let the cookie dough form a single ball; the crumbly texture is key to getting a perfect cracker-like consistency for the base and topping.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup salted butter, softened
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
  2. In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the softened butter and brown sugar until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
  3. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined.
  4. Add the baking powder and whole wheat flour. Mix until the dough resembles small, fine crumbles rather than a single cohesive ball.
  5. Take half of the dough crumbles and spread them evenly over half of a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
  6. On a floured surface, roll out the remaining dough into a ¼ to ½-inch thickness. Use a knife or bench scraper to cut the dough into 9 equal squares.
  7. Use a fork to poke holes in each of the square cookies to prevent them from puffing up while baking. Transfer the squares to the other half of the cookie sheet.
  8. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the squares and crumbles are completely dried out and cracker-like. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
  9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Prep: 15 min • Cook: 20 min • Wait: No time

For the Peanut Butter Filling

The filling should be firm enough to hold its shape on the cookie base.

Ingredients

  • ⅔ cup creamy peanut butter
  • ⅔ cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. While the cookies are cooling, mix the peanut butter and powdered sugar in a clean bowl until a thick, uniform paste forms.

Prep: 5 min • Cook: No time • Wait: No time

Chocolate Layer & Assembly

This bounty can be frozen to set the chocolate layer more quickly, which is a great trick for a quick feast.

Ingredients

  • 2 11.5-ounce bags milk chocolate chips
  • 1 batch cooled cookies and crumbles
  • 1 batch prepared peanut butter filling

Instructions

  1. Once the cookie bases have cooled completely, spread a generous dome of the peanut butter filling onto each of the 9 square cookies.
  2. Press the cooled cookie crumbles all over the peanut butter dome to coat it completely. Place each bar on a plate or pan that will fit in your freezer.
  3. Freeze the bars for 15 minutes, or until the peanut butter mixture is firm to the touch.
  4. Melt the milk chocolate chips in a double boiler or in the microwave in 30-second intervals until completely smooth.
  5. Drop each frozen PB Max bar into the melted chocolate, base side down, then turn it over to coat the top completely. Lift the bar from the chocolate, allowing any excess to drip off, and place it on a sheet of parchment paper, wax paper, or a silicone baking mat to dry.
  6. Repeat with the remaining bars. Allow the chocolate to set completely before serving.

Notes

These bars are a treasure trove of flavor and texture! A seaworthy treat that keeps well in an airtight container below deck for up to a week, though they rarely last that long.