Peeps Show S'mores Bars

Confession: Until yesterday, I had never eaten a Peep.

We grew up in an all-chocolate-and-jelly-bean Easter basket family.  {I love Easter.}

So, fast-forward to yesterday...I made Peeps Show S'mores Bars.  Peeps, combined with semisweet chocolate and a graham-crackery, oaty crust, baked until melty and gooey and messy?
ALL.KINDS.OF.AWESOME.

I love Peeps now, but honestly after taking a bite of one plain, I ONLY want my Peeps baked into these bars.

Scroll on down for the recipe, but here's what you're going to do...

First, Steal all of the Peeps out of your children's Easter baskets.
{I kid; I kid. RUN to the store Monday and stock up on them at half-price.}

OK, you'll make a crust/topping concoction with butter, oats, brown sugar and a few other ingredients...

{It comes together really fast.  You won't even need your mixer...just a saucepan...

...and a spoon.} 

...about half goes in a pan for the crust...

Here are the ingredients for the filling:

{Hello, Peeps.}

...you'll top the crust with chocolate chips...

...and some Peeps...

...and top with the rest of the topping/crust mixture...

...bake.

You'll let it rest for a bit, then you'll dig in. 

It's gooey and delicious...it may not be elegant, but it WILL make your eyes roll back in your head.  You might even moan a little.

Peeps Show S'mores Bars

ingredients:
6 TBSP salted butter
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
6 TBSP dark corn syrup
2 & 1/4 cups rolled oats (not instant, not steel cut)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 & 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
15 Peeps

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350.  Grease an 8x8 pan.  Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter, brown sugar and corn syrup over medium heat, until the butter is melted and sugar has dissolved.  Remove from heat and stir in the oats, flour, salt and graham cracker crumbs.

Press a little more than half of this mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Place on a wire rack and let cool completely.

Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the cooled crust.  Top with the Peeps, making 3 rows of 5 Peeps.

Cover with the remaining topping/crust mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes; the Peeps will looks slightly misshapen under the topping.

Place on a wire cooling rack and let cool for 20 minutes.  Serve warm.
{adapted from S'mores Granola Bars, King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion}

{These bars are good at room temperature, too...but are a-MAZ-ing warm.}

What are you waiting for?!?  Go get some Peeps!