Layered Christmas Bars: White Chocolate With Peanut Butter

I have created the most amazing Christmas Bars on the planet!!!! I mean seriously, people! I’m not usually so conceited, but when you make these, you will know that something truly amazing has occurred…lol! These White Chocolate & Peanut Butter Layered Christmas Bars are about to become your new favorite Christmas dessert. Trust me.

As a family we have always lived far away from our extended family. Sometimes a few hours, sometimes a few states, and most of the time, half the world away. When we haven’t been able to be close to family, they have always made sure to send our favorite Christmas cookies to us. It’s like transporting myself back in time to my childhood, when my mom, brothers, aunt and grandma would gather around Grandma’s kitchen to do the Christmas baking together. Sugar cookies, chocolate-covered pretzels, Swedish Gingerbread… making myself drool here…

Now that we’re back in the states, we still don’t live near family, but this year I’m at least close enough to be able to send treats to them. Postage from overseas was always too expensive for us to reciprocate the goodies we received.

But now it’s my turn!! We’re sharing these little lovelies with our family. So that we can share some of our new family traditions with our loved ones.

White Chocolate & Peanut Butter Layered Christmas Bars Instructions:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 cup Quaker Quick 1-Minute Oats

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup half & half

12 oz. bag white chocolate chips

1 bag M&M’s® Holiday Baking Minis

Prepare a 13″x9″ pan by lining the inside with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.

Mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups of Quaker Quick 1-Minute Oats, 1 cup packed brown sugar, and 1 cup very soft butter in your mixer until the butter is throughly mixed in and the mixture is loosely combined. Pour into the baking pan.

Tightly pack the oatmeal mixture into the pan to form the bottom layer and place in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. The crust is finished when the edges start to turn a golden brown.

Immediately after taking the crust out of the oven, whip 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter and 1/4 cup Half & Half until light and fluffy. Spread the peanut butter mixture onto the crust while the crust is still warm. You will notice that the peanut butter mixture slightly melts. That means you did it perfectly.

Then, melt one 12 oz. bag of white chocolate chips, according to the package directions. Drizzle on top of the peanut butter mixture and then spread to cover.

Sprinkle the top of the white chocolate with 1 bag of M&M’s® Holiday Baking Minis. Allow to begin cooling.

After the chocolate mixture has set for about 5 minutes, remove the layered Christmas bars from the pan and cut into 30 bars. You need to do this before the white chocolate is completely set or you will risk cracking the top of the bars, creating a (tasty) mess.