Brownie Topped Peanut Butter Bars

I'm back.  It has been a crazy, fun summer so far and I have missed trying peanut butter recipes.  (It hasn't been a terrible thing, I think I lost a few pounds not eating peanut butter and chocolate on a weekly basis.)  Are these bars or brownies?  Well, folks, I think they're both.  These brownies/bars are rich, scrumptious, thick, and yummy.  I found the recipe over at life made simple, but I tweaked the recipe a little to make it a teensy bit easier.  I cheated and used a boxed dark chocolate brownie mix.  Still good and lots easier, try them.

Brownie Topped Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients
Brownie mix (and ingredients called for on the box)
1 stick butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil and spray lightly with Pam.  
2. Mix brownie mix together and set aside.
3.  Cream butter, peanut butter, and sugar using a mixer.  Add in one egg at a time. 
4.  Mix in baking powder, salt, vanilla.  Slowly add in flour until just combined.  
5.  Fold in 1/2 cup peanut butter chips.
6.  Spread peanut butter batter into pan.  Top with brownie batter.  Sprinkle extra chips on top.
7.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, until done and not jiggly.
8.  Let cool for 45 minutes.  Remove foil and let cool 15 more minutes before cutting.