Hmmm, is it a “brownie”, “bar” or a “finger?” This is a nice, easy recipe from the Amish archives for “peanut butter bliss bars.” Typical of many Amish recipes this was somewhat sparse on instructions. For instance, the recipe did not call for a pan size. I think you could use a 9 X 13 baking dish. You’d get a thicker “bar”. I ended up using a 12 X 16 inch cookie sheet which made for a thinner bar. Note I am calling them “bars” even though the title is “fingers.” If you used a 9 X 13 and got something thicker I think you could cut them into long “finger shapes”….the 12 X 16 , I think, made them too thin to cut into anything other than squares or bars. But if I did it again I might stick with the thinner “bars” pictured above because I really liked the way they turned out. The recipe makes a light, airy dessert with good peanut butter and chocolate flavor. Very easy to make and using a 12 X 16 pan I ended up with close to 40 bars. I just lightly greased the cookie sheet with cooking spray, the recipe didn’t say specifically. Here is the recipe:
- 1 cup shortening
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 /3 cup peanut butter
- 2 cups oatmeal
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 /2 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- Glaze:
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup cocoa (the handwritten version of the recipe didn’t give an amount…so this can be adjusted to suit your taste)
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening, sugar, peanut butter, eggs, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients.
- Spread onto large cookie sheet.
- Bake at 350.
- Cool partly before glazing.
- For glaze: combine water and butter.
- Bring to a boil.
- Blend well, then add sugar and vanilla.
- Beat until smooth, then spread over the dessert.
- Let cool and cut into bars.
