I am in search of a dessert that used to be served at my school. I live in Iowa. It was called no-bake. It was basically a peanut butter bar. The peanut butter was moist and there was a thin layer of chocolate on top. I've tried several recipes that I've either come across or doctored up myself,bu to no avail. If anyone knows of this recipe I would be grateful for any help. I'm not the only person looking forward to finding it!
Thank you in advance for any help. Kathy.

Might this be it?
PEANUT BUTTER BARS
(From School Cafeteria)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 c. peanut butter (creamy)
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 c. melted butter
1 c. sweet chocolate chips
(for icing)

Add dry ingredients to butter and peanut butter gradually. Mix well. Press into 9 x 9-inch cake pan. (No need to grease it.) Melt and spread 1 cup sweet chocolate chips over top. Do not bake. Best not to refrigerate. Will set in about 2 to 3 hours.

Nice and easy, and sounds tasty, too!

You wouldn't have a recipe for the huge peanut butter or butter cookies served in IL high schools in the '60s?

When I was growing up, my mom made something called "Hollywood Squares" at Christmastime. They sound like what you're looking for. Here's the recipe:

1/2 lb. melted butter, cooled
2 cups creamy peanut butter
3 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix all except butter. Add butter and stir. If too moist, add a little more powdered sugar.

Press mixture into a 9" x 13" pan. Mix the following: 12 oz. chocolate chips melted with 2-3 tbsp. butter and 2-3 tbsp. milk. Spread on top of peanut butter mixture and refrigerate. Cut into squares when firm.


Does this sound like what you're looking for? Hope this helps!

Jan, try these:
Chicago Public School Peanut Butter Cookies
Posted by GayleL at recipegoldmine.com 10:15:17pm 2/24/03

Source: c4.zedo.com - Geraldine Faucher, Chicago, Illinois

Makes 9 dozen cookies

1 1/4 pound (5 sticks) butter, softened
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups brown sugar, packed
1 pound peanut butter
3 eggs
5 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add both sugars and mix until no granules remain, about 5 minutes. Add peanut butter and mix until combined. Add eggs; continue to beat on high speed for 1 minute.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture; stir until well-blended.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoonsful onto greased baking sheets. Flatten dough with palm of hand to form 3-inch circles that are 1/4 inch thick.

Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom.

Nutrition facts per cookie: 105 calories, 7 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 17 mg cholesterol, 10 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 25 mg sodium, 0 g fiber
---------
Chicago Public School Cafeteria Butter Cookies
2 sticks (1 cup) softened butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla extract. Mix in flour in small increments. Roll dough into balls; Flatten on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake until golden brown.

Makes about 1 1/2 dozen.

7yyrt,

Thanks so much for those recipes!

And thanks kat1974 and cakesbyjess for asking/responding about peanut butter bars

Now I have some great (bake/no bake) recipes to make for Xmas presents for my peanut butter loving twin sister.

(The butter cookies are for me )

You guys are great!

Thank you so much everyone for the wonderful recipes. I hope one of them is what I'm looking for. But even if they're not I'll still have fun trying out these new recipes! I'll be baking this weekend and will let you know if one of them is what I'm after. Thank you again.


Kathy

Here is the Utah(read: Davis School District) recipe for their peanut butter bars:

1 cup peanut butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/3 cups quick oats
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour

cream together peanut butter, butter, both sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Then add baking soda, flour and quick oats and mix until combined. Spread on large greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool completely. Spread with additional peanut butter. On top of peanut butter spread with chocolate frosting.

I'm going to be making these here this weekend, so I'll take a picture and post for you to see. These are so popular here that Davis School District has a storefront that they sell them at.

Oh, and I'm a fool for oatmeal cookies - so peanut butter oatmeal sounds great!

This thread just keeps getting better and better

Thanks these sound alot like one I have been searching for. A friend of mine from about 15 years ago gave me some peanut butter bars that I totally loved. She moved on and I never got the recipe. But these sound similar. Especially the one witht the oatmeal. She always said they were so simple and those sound like the things she said were in the recipe. Thank You Thank You

I remember these Peanut Butter bars from school! We had them in NY too in my elementary school. I've thought of them many times throughout the years and every recipe I've tried never tastes like them. I will try these recipes too and see if any are it.

GREAT POST!!!

*who ever thought we'd actually enjoy school food!!

This site is excellent; this is the SCHOOL CAFETERIA RECIPES thread from last year:
http://www.theingredientstore.com/joesplace/swap1.pl?read=5203
Let your fingers tiptoe through the cinnamon rolls...
The site has moved, for NEW threads see:
http://www.newfoodforum.com/joesplace/viewforum.php?f=1&topicdays=0&start=200&sid=189240ddf2ebee37f29f69ce7340e355

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Might this be it?
PEANUT BUTTER BARS
(From School Cafeteria)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 c. peanut butter (creamy)
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 c. melted butter
1 c. sweet chocolate chips
(for icing)

Add dry ingredients to butter and peanut butter gradually. Mix well. Press into 9 x 9-inch cake pan. (No need to grease it.) Melt and spread 1 cup sweet chocolate chips over top. Do not bake. Best not to refrigerate. Will set in about 2 to 3 hours.

*** I made this, and it was yummy! Thanks 7yyrt!

Glad to be of service.

I see they moved the forum again, here is the new URL, if anyone is interested. - http://www.theingredientstore.com/joesplace/swap1.pl