Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars with Reese’s

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and creamy peanut butter. This step helps create a smooth base and ensures the fats are well combined, giving the bars their tender, chewy texture. Mix until the two are completely blended and no streaks remain.

Add in both the white sugar and the light brown sugar. Stir or beat until the sugars are fully incorporated, but avoid overmixing, which can make the bars more dense. Once the mixture looks cohesive, add the room-temperature eggs and the vanilla extract. Mix again until everything is just combined, creating a thick, creamy batter.

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add this dry mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing only until the flour disappears into the dough. Overmixing at this stage can affect the final texture, so stop as soon as everything has come together into a smooth dough.