Chocolate-Topped Peanut Butter-Bacon Bars

     Just when you thought you'd seen it all, Betty Crocker brings us the ultimate dessert for bacon junkies.  Easily made from a package of peanut butter cookie mix and crisply cooked bacon, these addictive bars are the perfect balance of sweet and salty ingredients and will remind you of a warm peanut butter and bacon sandwich. 
     In my 10 inch dutch oven, the bars baked for 25 minutes with 10 coals in a ring around the base of the oven, 14 placed in a ring around the outside of the lid with 6 spaced evenly in the center.  Once the cookie batter layer is golden brown, remove the lid, sprinkle with the chocolate chips and continue baking until the chips are soft and spreadable.  I allowed them to cool in my dutch oven for 30 minutes before lifting them out with the parchment paper.  If you don't want to eat them while they're still warm and gooey, place them in the fridge until the chocolate has set before cutting into bars.  These are indescribably good and if you use maple flavored bacon they're even more flavorful and delicious.

Chocolate-Topped Bacon Peanut Butter Bars
1 17.5 oz pouch Betty Crocker peanut butter cookie mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 Tblsp maple-flavored syrup
1 egg
12 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled (about a cup)
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

     Lightly oil or spray 10 inch dutch oven; line with parchment paper.
     In large bowl, stir together cookie mix, oil, syrup and egg until soft dough forms.
     Reserve 1/4 cup bacon for garnish.
     Stir remaining bacon and peanuts into dough.
     Press dough evenly into parchment lined dutch oven.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
     Sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips.
     Replace lid and cook for 3-5 minutes or until chocolate has melted.
     Immediately spread softened chocolate over bars.
     Sprinkle reserved 1/4 cup bacon over chocolate.
     Cool for 30 minutes before lifting from dutch oven.
     Wait 30 minutes, or until chocolate has set, before cutting into squares.
     Store tightly covered in refrigerator.

Press cookie dough into parchment lined 10 inch dutch oven

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, sprinkle with chocolate chips
and bake for several minutes more or until chocolate has melted

Spread melted chocolate then top with remaining bacon pieces

Nothing like a little protein to balance out the sugar