Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Tray Bake

We've got people coming over later on this afternoon for a visit and some tea . . . you know the drill . . . finger sandwiches, a cake, and some other scrummy bits. I also wanted to make something a little bit different for these Brits, something that would lift my tea time repast from being humdrum and predictable, into something extra-ordinary.



I found this recipe in one of my Marks & Spencer's Cookbooks, Baking Bible. It's one of my favourite baking books and is filled with quite a variety of baking recipes from cakes . . . to tarts . . . to breads . . . and everything in between.



I've baked quite a few of them at one time or another, and they have always turned out beautiful. I thought these oaty milk chocolate and peanut butter squares would go down a real treat.



They are very reminiscent of an American type of slice or square as they are often called over there in the big US of A. Moreishly oaty, sweet and stogged full of milk chocolate bits and nuts.



The Peanut Butter is a surprise, and a pleasant one. I do hope they go down well. I couldn't resist cutting two yesterday and of course I couldn't wait for them to completely cool down before digging in. Oh wow. These are fabulous!



*Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Tray Bake*
makes 20
Printable Recipe

Deliciously scrummy oaty squares stogged full of lovely peanut butter flavour and milk chocolate chunks.

10 1/2 ounces milk chocolate (can use milk chocolate chips)
12 ounces plain flour ( 2 3/4 cup)
1 tsp baking powder
8 ounces butter (1 cup)
12 ounces soft light brown sugar (about 1 2/3 cup packed)
6 ounces rolled oats (scant 2 cups)
2 1/2 ounces chopped toasted pecans (generous half cup)
1 large free range egg, beaten
400g (14 ounce) tin of condensed milk
2 1/2 ounces crunchy peanut butter (1/4 cup plus 1 TBS)

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.

Finely chop the chocolate. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Drip in the butter, cut into bits. Rub this into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it resembles fine bread crumbs. Stir in the sugar and rolled oats. Remove 1/4 of the mixture and place it into another bowl. Stir the chocolate into this. Set aside. Beat the egg and stir it into the remainder of the crumb mixture. Press this mixture into a 12 by 8 inch baking pan.

Bake in the heated oven for 15 minutes.

Stir together the condensed milk and peanut butter. Pour this over the partially baked crust. Sprinkle the chocolate crumb mixture over top and lightly press down.

Return the pan to the oven and bake for a further 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Leave to cool in the tin before cutting into squares to serve.



Go on . . . bake them today. You know you want to! ☺