Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars

.  So I'm a little bummed.

I try not to complain about anything on LSM because let's be real, who wants to read about the poor woes of another?  But life happens and sometimes you just gotta vent.  And luckily, it's nothing life changing or dramatic.

It's my knee.

Okay, that sounded dramatic.

I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned this on LSM, but lately I've been getting into running a bit more than normal.  I decided to team up with a friend of mine [an avid distance runner] to train for the Omaha Half Marathon coming up September 23.  The training has been great and I started to run distances I thought only 'crazy' people did [sorry, but it's true!].  But a couple of weeks ago, I tweaked my leg somehow and it's been downhill from there [figuratively speaking].  At times I couldn't even keep a slow jog going without my knee hurting and often times it even effected walking.  I tried putting off exercise for a number of days but lo' and behold, I was back out [painfully] running again. 

Well, the knee has just been too much lately.  Before, I was able to do the Stairmaster but now it's gotten to the point where my knee hurts even doing that.  Every work out session has become a pain in the a** [excuse my frustration] and I've just had enough.  So despite my efforts to resist modern medicine, I'm heading to the orthopedist this Monday to see what's going on.  All I hear is 'cha ching!'

And that's all I have in regards to that.  Thanks for hearing me out.

But you know what cheers up any and every person on this Earth?  I do.  And I bet you could guess, too.

Cookie Dough.

Whether you like to admit it or not, I know that during your lifetime you've snuck a finger swipe here or there of mom's chocolate chip cookie dough.  And then went back for more.  Well, I seemed to have found the perfect treat for you cookie-dough-lovin' spirits out there [myself included] and I know you won't be able to get enough of this stuff.

Basically this bar is one big slab of cookie dough topped with a heavenly, thick, and rich layer of melted chocolate and peanut butter [the best combination known to man].  Cookie Dough.  Chocolate.  Peanut Butter.  HELLO!  Nothing more needed here.

I think my knee even feels better now  .

My Notes:

• The ingredients list says to use milk chocolate chips for the topping, but feel free to also use the left over semisweet mini chocolate chips.  Up to you!

From Gingerbread Bagels

Ingredients:

Cookie Dough:

1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened

3/4 c. packed light brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. all purpose flour

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

2 c. mini chocolate chips

Topping:

1 c. creamy peanut butter

2/3 c. milk chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together butter and light brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).  Add vanilla extract and beat until combined.
2. With the mixer on low speed, alternate mixing in flour and sweetened condensed milk and mix until combined.  Gently fold in mini chocolate chips with spatula.
3. Line 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper.  Press the cookie dough into the pan (the cookie dough may be sticky, so lightly flour your hands).
4. Cover the bars with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight until firm.  
5. For topping, combine the peanut butter and milk chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until smooth.  Spread the mixture over the cookie dough bars.  Chill the bars for 1 hour or until topping is firm.  

Yield: 16 large bars