Cookies and Cream Peanut Butter Bark
Reese's Peanut Butter White Chocolate Bark's darker twin sister is ready to be shared with the world. Warning: this stuff is messy, addicting, and decadent – in every wonderful way. I adore making bark. It's a mindless, no-bake way to literally add anything you want to chocolate. All the little do-dads hiding in your pantry. Chocolate bark is a cry from heaven when you have some holiday treats to make without all the time in the world. Or when you just need a chocolate break – and you need it fast. The same idea goes with fudge too. The fudge world is your oyster – a wonderful chocolate base to add in anything your heart desires. Like cookie dough, cake batter (oh yeah), and candy canes.
Reese's Peanut Butter White Chocolate Bark's darker twin sister is ready to be shared with the world. Warning: this stuff is messy, addicting, and decadent – in every wonderful way. I adore making bark. It's a mindless, no-bake way to literally add anything you want to chocolate. All the little do-dads hiding in your pantry. Chocolate bark is a cry from heaven when you have some holiday treats to make without all the time in the world. Or when you just need a chocolate break – and you need it fast. The same idea goes with fudge too. The fudge world is your oyster – a wonderful chocolate base to add in anything your heart desires. Like cookie dough, cake batter (oh yeah), and candy canes.
- Carbohydrate 3.69838844471417 g
- Cholesterol 10.1229166581093 mg
- Fat 13.2252729242091 g
- Fiber 1.12000000094679 g
- Protein 4.72369792341133 g
- Saturated Fat 4.33978506949385 g
- Serving Size 1 1 (36g)
- Sodium 36.4649439790444 mg
- Sugar 2.57838844376738 g
- Trans Fat 0.737492085196269 g
- Calories 145 calories
Step-by-step
- Line an 8×8 or 9×9 square baking pan with parchment paper, with overlay on the sides. Spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Make the Oreo cookie crust by crushing the Oreos into a fine crumb using a food processor or blender. Using your hands, mix the crushed Oreo crumbs and melted butter together. It may look like there is not enough butter, but it will come together. Place into the prepared baking pan, pressing the crumbs down into the pan to create a somewhat even layer.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a handheld mixer, mix the peanut butter, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until the mixture is completely combined and smooth. Spread over the crumb mixture, smoothing the top with an offset or rubber spatula (sprayed with nonstick spray, for ease). Chill the bars for at least an hour, until the filling is set.
- Heat the chocolate in medium microwave-safe bowl, according to package directions. Pour the chocolate over the peanut butter filling and evenly spread. Chill the bars for at least an hour, until the chocolate topping is set. Remove bark from the baking pan using the parchment paper and cut into uneven pieces (or use your hands to break it up).
- Store bark in the refrigerator.
Swapping the butter in the crust for coconut oil alters the moisture level, resulting in a crumbly base that requires an extra tablespoon of binder to hold together under the peanut butter layer. Confectioners' sugar contains cornstarch, which stabilizes the peanut butter filling by absorbing excess oils and preventing separation during mixing.
- Line the eight-inch square pan with parchment paper with a two-inch overhang to ensure the chilled slab lifts out cleanly without sticking.
- Process the cookies until fine crumbs form; uneven chunks create structural weak points where the base will fracture prematurely.
- Chill the peanut butter layer for sixty minutes until it feels firm and dry to the touch before adding warm chocolate.
- Melt the semisweet chocolate in thirty-second microwave intervals, stirring frequently to prevent scorching and to maintain a glossy temper.
- Store the finished bark in the refrigerator for up to one week in an airtight container to prevent moisture absorption from the air.
Fat bloom occurs if the chocolate cools too slowly, leaving dull white streaks across the surface. Chilling accelerates solidification and preserves a glossy finish.
