McCall Humes is a fellow blogger and lives right here in Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada. Her blog McCall of the Wild is always a fun read. In addition to being a blogger, she is also “Pinterest Influencer” – yes, it’s a real job! Check out her Pinterest – tons of cool stuff there! I asked her to share her Guilty Pleasure. She dishes and shares a family recipe below.  All photos are hers with many thanks.

When LeAnne asked me to write a guest post about guilty pleasures, my first instinct was to get drunk on whiskey and ramble on about my deep love of Jameson. But as I visualized how the post might go, it seemed quite probable it could become something I felt great about until the light of the next day. I became fearful that the post could end up like whenever Jameson and I join forces in karaoke night. At the time, he convinces me that my impromptu adaptation of “Papa Don’t Preach” was next-level brilliant, but then a Facebook video inevitably proves otherwise.  As this is my first introduction to you, I suppose it is inappropriate to suggest that you could just join me in doing shots so as to ensure that you appreciate what I have to offer. But, for the record, that is usually the case at the karaoke bar. Instead, I will leave my idea for an ode to whiskey here and move on to my next post idea: my love of food.

I’m not gonna lie. It’s difficult to narrow this down. I mean, pretty much all food brings me pleasure and most of what I eat isn’t what those in the know would call ‘healthy.’ A lot of you might consider a late night Taco Bell run a guilty pleasure. I just call it Tuesday’s dinner. I guess it’s easier for me to narrow it down by focusing on the word “guilty” rather than “pleasure.”

It’s probably a commentary on my youth that when I think of the word “guilty,” the next thing that comes to mind is “sneaky.” Rather than dwelling on why that is, I’m just gonna jump over it and admit that I am currently completely guilty of sneaking Nutella into my house. Somewhere here in the house (I can’t say where or I’d have to kill you) there is a jar of Nutella that no one but me knows exists. Mind you, it is not hidden because I fear the opinions of my family members about my eating that shit straight from the jar. No. This is strictly because Momma doesn’t want to share.

A blog post about how often I smuggle spoonfuls of Nutella seems a little anti-climactic.  So I have decided that, as a tribute to this hidden gem of happiness, I will share with ya’ll the recipe that started my love affair with desserts that combine chocolate and nuts: My mom’s peanut butter bars.

I’ve never shared a recipe before so if it’s challenging to follow, I ask that you forgive Jameson. His heart is in the right place.

Momma McCall’s Mom’s Peanut Butter Bars

¼ cup peanut butter

½ cup shortening

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup sugar

1 egg

½ tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

1 cup oatmeal

1 tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

¼ cup milk

Preheat oven to 350

Combine dry ingredients and set aside.

Cream together shortening, peanut butter and sugars until fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla and mix until well combined. Add dry mixture and milk to egg mixture, alternating until well combined.

Scoop the mixture into a 9 x 13 casserole dish and create an even layer (Or use a 9 x 9 to make a thicker bar. Be sure to adjust bake time.). Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. When the bars are fully cooked they will be golden brown. A toothpick stuck through the middle of them should come out clean.

While the bars are cooking, mix together the frosting using:

2 cups powdered sugar

¼ c cocoa powder

3 Tbsp butter

½ tsp vanilla

2-3 Tbsp water (use only enough to make the mixture moist, not runny.)

While they are still warm, spread the frosting evenly across the top. The heat of the bars will melt the frosting making it easy to spread.

Let cool and enjoy!

I hope that y’all enjoy these yummy Peanut Butter Bars as much as I do. Just be careful. This is a proven gateway snack. If you aren’t careful, you too could wind up hiding jars of Nutella around your house.

Cheers!