PB-cookie-dough bars

Want a protein-packed sweet snack? Opt for these Peanut Butter Cookie Dough bars from Leaner, Fitter, Stronger. They make a great treat for healthy eaters.
Introduction
These taste even better than they look. And there’s something distinctly chocolate-bar-with-nuts-and-caramel about the bars…
Ingredients
3 tbsp | peanut butter (smooth or crunchy) |
1 tsp | vanilla essence or extract |
80g | dark-chocolate chips |
100g | ground almonds |
1 tbsp | honey or maple syrup |
1 tbsp | whey protein (chocolate or vanilla work well) |
melted chocolate for drizzling (optional) |
Method
Melt the peanut butter with the vanilla, either in the microwave or in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water. Stir in the ground almonds and honey, and mix well to combine. Leave to cool a little then mix in the whey protein and dark-chocolate chips till you have a big ball of cookie-dough-like consistency. Flatten the ball into a tray lined with baking parchment, so that it is evenly spread out and roughly 2cm thick. Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours.
To up the chocolate ante, melt a little dark chocolate and drizzle over the top before putting in the fridge to chill. Looks pretty too.