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Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Peanut Butter Squares

Here's a recipe that is sure to delight peanut butter lovers!  While I have taken my love of peanut butter to extremes--trying it on toast, soup, raisin bran, ice cream, oatmeal, chocolate, rhubarb cobbler, pumpkin/sweet potato pie, apple pie, and even green salad--this super peanut-buttery recipe from one of my mother's cookbooks is one of my all time favorite concoctions!

Peanut Butter Squares
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup milk
1-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C).  Cream the peanut butter, shortening, and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.  Stir in the milk.  Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix till the batter is smooth.  Spread into greased 15x10x1-inch baking pan, and bake for about 20 minutes.
Peanut Butter Frosting 
6 tablespoons peanut butter
4-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4+ cup milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Combine ingredients, adding milk while stirring until frosting reaches proper consistency.  Once the peanut butter squares have cooled, spread frosting over them.
"Statistics show that of those who contract the habit of eating, very few survive."  --Wallace Irwin

40 comments:

  1. Hmm. Never heard of peanut butter on soup! Quite interesting. Love it on toast and chocolate ice cream. Will have to expand my peanut butter uses. Thank for recipe. Will try in future and let know how it goes. God bless.

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    1. Peanut butter on regular vegetable soup is only mediocre, but there are some Thai peanut butter soups that I should try. Hope you enjoy the peanut butter bars! God bless.

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  2. that looks very good bethany! and not that complicated, thanks for sharing...loves

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    1. The best part about cooking (to me) is eating, so I try my best to use recipes that have the most favorable enjoyment to work & complication ratio possible ;).

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  3. Yummo! I will try that out for sure! :D

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  4. This look scrumptious!!! Thank you so much for sharing. :)

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  5. Mmm that looks amazing! Thank you for sharing this recipe Bethany!:)
    I cannot wait to try it out!:) Oh hahaha and I love that last quote! XD
    June
    The Journeys' of my beating heart

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  6. Even I, peanut fan that I am, may struggle with some of these - although I'd be willing to try just to find out!

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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    1. Peanut butter improves the taste of all that I mentioned improve the taste except for the salad (don't try that), and it really depends what type of soup you try. Plain old vegetable soup with peanut butter is ok, but nothing to write home about; however, there are many recipes for Thai soups with peanut butter (which I should try someday).

      The desserts are best with ice cream with the peanut butter to balance sweet and salty, and the oatmeal with brown sugar and peanut butter.

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  7. Bonjour Bethany,
    HUM.....Je te remercie pour cette délicieuse recette, je vais l'essayer c'est certain (◔◡◔) ♥

    Bisous et bonne journée

    Manon

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  8. OHMYGOSH...this looks soooo good. And such basic ingredients that you can find anywhere. Thanks for sharing this! Mmmm...

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  9. Oh peanut butter, divine peanut butter! I think I may have stared at the computer screen longer than necessary due to the tempting peanut bars you shared.... Definitely going to try these, Bethany, because if I haven't made it clear yet I LOVE peanut butter :)

    Thanks for sharing and Happy October!

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    1. I knew there was something special about you Stephanie ;)
      Happy October to you as well!

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  10. I love peanut butter and your peanut butter squares look delicious. I already have every ingredient already, well except for the shortening. That's an easy fix, though... :)

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    1. That's one reason I enjoy the recipe--usually no special shopping trips to find the ingredients!

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  11. I'm obsessed with peanut butter too. Thank goodness I need extra calories while nursing! Haha.

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  12. OK, I have to admit that I am not a fan of peanut butter but this looks so good!

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    1. My sister isn't very much of a fan of peanut butter either, but she likes the squares... beware though, they taste *very* peanut-buttery!

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  13. they do look very yummy, i LOVE peanut butter on anything but i have not tried it on salad ;)

    i love the pretty plate!!!!

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    1. Thanks Debbie! The plate is one of my favorite thrift store finds! I got the entire set (plates, saucers, bowls, tea cups, creamer, and sugar bowl) for only $20! And...don't worry...peanut butter and spinach just don't go so well, so you haven't missed out ;)

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  14. O sol é para as flores o que os sorrisos são para a humanidade.(Joseph Addison)
    Obrigada querida, pela visita carinhosa!
    Manteiga de amendoim minha preferida!!!!!!
    Um doce abraço, Marie.

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  15. Oh my, these look scrumptious. I've fostered an addiction to peanut butter later in life. Sometimes I just eat it straight from the jar. ;-)

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  16. Oh my goodness! I am pinning this. I LOVE peanut butter! Looks so good.

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  17. YUMM these look SO good and not to hard to make, thanks for sharing :)
    xo Hannah

    http://thebraidedbandit.blogspot.com
    http://thebraidedbandit.etsy.com

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  18. These peanut butter squares look scrumptious! Will definitely give them a try!

    Poppy

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  19. I love peanut butter (if we have some at home, I like to eat with raw apples as a snack) the recipe is pretty simple and with very few ingredients :) perfect! lol ...it looks so delicious. Thanks for sharing.

    Blessings,

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    1. Not sure if I've tried peanut butter with raw apples! Sounds like it could be a good idea!

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