PEANUT BUTTER BARS

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9-by-9-by-2-in pan with cooking spray or softened butter and line the bottom and two sides with parchment.
• To make the bars, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, whisk the warm melted butter and sugar until thoroughly combined.
• Add the oil, vanilla and peanut butter, whisking after each addition.
• Add the egg and yolk, one at a time, whisking after each. Add the dry ingredients all at once, folding gently with a rubber spatula, just to combine. At this point, you can refrigerate the dough for up to 72 hours, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. This rest in the fridge will result in a chewier bar cookie, with a more intense peanut butter flavor.
• Transfer the dough to the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cookie is lightly browned and dry to the touch. Do not over bake. Let the bars cool to room temperature on a cooling track.
• A short stint in the freezer, about 10 minutes, once the cookie is cooled, helps immeasurably with making clean cuts. Lift the bar cookie from the pan using the parchment sling. Remove the parchment and place on a cutting board. Using a large chef’s knife, trim the edges of the cookie, as they will have risen a bit during baking.

Glaze:

• Place the chocolate and salt in a medium-sized heatproof bowl.
• Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat or in the microwave, for about 30 seconds, until just boiling.
• Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and immediately use an immersion blender to blend the mixture until smooth. If you do not have an emulsion blender, pour the cream over the chocolate and wait for a minute before whisking the mixture until smooth. It will be quite thick. If you want a thinner glaze add a tablespoon or two more of cream.
• Spread the glaze over the bars with a small offset spatula, leaving the edges bare. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
• Let the glazed bars set on the counter, or speed up the process up by placing the cookie in the refrigerator. Slice into 12 pieces, using a large chef’s knife dipped in hot water and dried, for the cleanest cuts.