Sometimes you just want something indulgent.  Chocolate, butter, toffee, butter, shortbread, butter...I think it's safe to call these bars indulgent.  Three layers of goodness to satisfy any craving.  Make these and you will find yourself with lots of new friends.  Or enemies, if you decide to eat them all yourself.

Chocolate Toffee Bars
adapted from Cookies and Cups

Crust:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 1/2 cups crushed shortbread cookies (I used LornaDoone cookies)
3/4 cup toffee bits (my store was out, so I used chopped up Heath bars)

Middle Layer:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon butter

Top Layer:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup toffee bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the crust, combine melted butter, shortbread cookie crumbs and 3/4 cup toffee bits in a 9" x 13" pan.  Press evenly into the bottom of the pan.  Bake crust for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

While the crust is baking, make the top layer:  Beat butter and sugars until smooth.  Add eggs and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.  Add flour, salt and baking soda and stir until just combined.  Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips and and 1 cup toffee bits.  Set aside.

Now make the middle layer:  Combine chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter in a saucepan.  Heat over low heat until melted, stirring frequently.

Pour the middle layer over the crust and spread evenly.  Drop spoonfuls of the top layer evenly over the top.

Bake 25-30 minutes, or until top layer is set.  Let cool completely before cutting into squares.

With my Chocolate Chip Cookies and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, this post completes the "trifecta" of cookies...you cannot go wrong with these.  Every year during the holidays, my Cookie Overload Bash always includes these three classics.

Peanut Butter Cookies almost count as comfort food, don't you think?  Fresh peanut butter cookies, a glass of milk, and some cartoons...and you're suddenly nine years old again, home froms school, without a care in the world.  Except maybe determining whether it is Duck Season or Wabbit Season.

Peanut Butter Cookies
adapted from Betty Crocker's Cookie Book

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

This is the absolute best way to measure out peanut butter...thanks to our good friend, Alton Brown.

Beat sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, butter, shortening and eggs until light and fluffy.  Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix until just combined.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet.  Flatten with a fork dipped in sugar.

Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until just starting to brown.  Let sit on cookie sheet for a minute or two, then remove cookies with a spatula to cool on a wire rack.

Ready for something incredibly rich, decadent, and sinful? Yes, please. Want it to feature one of the universe's best combinations...chocolate and peanut butter? Gimme. Take a look at these...

I am making myself sick on them right now. You need to make these. Trust me. You will thank me later.

Crispy Peanut Butter Bars
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Crust:
1 3/4 cups crispy rice cereal
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Peanut Butter Layer:
5 ounces good quality semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup creamy peanut butter

Dark Chocolate Icing:
3 ounces good quality dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup
4 tablespoons butter

Spray an 8" square pan with non-stick spray.

Put the crispy rice cereal in a large bowl.

Put 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Carefully add 1/4 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons corn syrup. Be careful not to let the sugar or syrup get on the sides of the pan. Gently stir with a wooden spoon. Cook over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Continue to cook, without stirring, until it reaches 235 degrees. Remove from heat and stir in melted butter and baking soda.

Pour over the cereal and mix well until the cereal is evenly coated, then pour into the prepared pan. Use a buttered rubber spatula to press cereal evenly to the bottom of the pan. Set aside to cool at room temperature.

In medium bowl, combine the semi-sweet chocolate and peanut butter. Heat in microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until melted.

Stir to combine and pour over the cereal in the pan. Place in refrigerator for 1 hour.

In small bowl, combine the dark chocolate, corn syrup and butter. Heat in microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until melted. Stir to combine and pour over peanut butter layer in pan. Tilt pan to evenly cover the peanut butter layer. Place in refrigerator for 1 hour.

Cut into 16 squares. Store tightly covered in refrigerator.

These are soooooo good. I blame my good friend Amy for these. She made them over the holidays and I have been obsessing ever since. Eating them feels as indulgent as eating raw cookie dough, plus they are so cute!

Buckeyes

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
24 oz (2 regular packages) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Beat peanut butter and butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and beat well. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until combined. Dough will be stiff.

Refrigerate until firm, then roll into 3/4" balls (any larger and they will be WAY too much for one bite!). Place on parchment paper on cookie sheets. Insert toothpicks into the top of each ball. Freeze approx 2 hours.

Melt chocolate chips over double boiler or in microwave. Dip each ball into chocolate, covering 3/4 of the ball. Return to wax paper on cookie sheets and chill until chocolate is firm. Store in refrigerator in covered container.

Try not to make yourself sick eating these. Or at least, hide the discarded toothpicks so no one knows how many you have eaten.