Making Peanut Bars

Gram and Cousin Jessica came over yesterday to make peanut bars. It is a recipe my Gram has enjoyed since her childhood. She remembers her mom making them around Christmas time in the kitchen of their small trailer back in North Dakota.

It is a sticky process; frosting small squares of a very dense cake and then rolling them in ground peanuts. But the reward at the end is so worth the mess. Gram calls lefse-making a "labor of love" and I would say the same of peanut bars.

It was a sweet time of sharing our lives, stories, and current events as we continued on with the tradition of making peanut bars.

Peanut Bars (also called Peanut Croquettes)

Cake

2 C boiled milk

2 T butter

2 C white sugar

3 C flour

6 tsp baking powder (yes, 6 tsp)

2 tsp vanilla

Boil milk and butter in microwave. Add to the other ingredients. Mix. Pour into a 9 X 13 pan. Bake 25-30 min. at 350 degrees.

Cut into small squares. Spread with frosting, roll in ground peanuts.

Frosting

1 1/2 lbs powdered sugar

1/2 C softened butter

1/4 C or more milk

1/2 T vanilla