Peanut Butter Shortbread (with Optional Salted Chocolate)

[auriga]

Delicious peanut butter and brown sugar shortbread squares. For instructions on making pretty individual cookies instead of baking the whole thing in a pan, check out the link to the original at the bottom of the post. Otherwise, I've modified the recipe to be quicker and more lazy-approved. >:|b

Peanut Butter Shortbread (with Optional Salted Chocolate)

Ingredients
-3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
-1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
-1/2 cup packed brown sugar
-1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
-2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1 to 2 cups mini chocolate chips, divided (optional)
-additional salt (optional)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350F.

Cream together the butter and peanut butter until smooth, followed by the sugar and the butter mixture. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour and salt and mix until blended, then stir in 1 cup of mini chocolate chips.

Press the mixture into an ungreased 9x13 inch baking pan and bake 30-40 minutes until lightly browned. If desired, sprinkle the other 1 cup of mini chips over the shortbread immediately after removing from oven. After a few minutes, spread the melted chocolate evenly over the shortbread and sprinkle with a bit of salt, then cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Source.