Chocolate Peanut Butter Dream Bars

Yield: makes one 8 X 8-inch dish

Ingredients

• 1 16 ounce package peanut butter sandwich cookies, divided
• 4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick) butter, melted 
  
  
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 8-ounce container Cool Whip, divided
• 1 3.9 ounce package chocolate Jello-O Pudding Mix
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate & peanut butter chips
• mini Reese's peanut butter cups for garnish (chopped in half)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a blender or food processor, finely crush 24 of the cookies.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter and finely crushed cookies until well moistened.
4. Press into an ungreased 8 X 8-inch baking dish.
5. Bake for 10 minutes.
6. Allow crust to cool completely before proceeding.
7. In the meantime, mix the package of pudding with the 1 1/2 cups of milk in a small bowl.
8. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and peanut butter together.
9. Fold in 1 cup of the Cool Whip and mix until well blended.
10. Spread the chocolate pudding over the cooled crust.
11. Place dollops of cream cheese mixture over the pudding layer and with an offset spatula, gently spread to completely cover.
12. Spread remaining Cool Whip over the cream cheese.
13. Refrigerate two hours.
14. In a plastic bag, break up the 8 remaining cookies.
15. Sprinkle the cookies and chocolate / peanut butter chips over the top just before serving.  (Optional, add Reese's peanut butter cups for garnish)