Twenty years ago an amazing woman shared this recipe with me. It was enjoyed by many of my friends to celebrate the birth of a very special baby at a shower that I helped host. Breast cancer took this special friend of mine on July 6, 2004. I miss her now. Every time that I make these Peanut Butter Bars I think of her. Every honor’s night I miss our talks of love, life and school. At graduation I miss her pinning my hood along with most everyone elses to make sure it was straight. Movelle Murdock was a wonderful person, a loving wife, a devoted mother of two, and one of the best teachers that I have ever known. She was the head of the math department and she knew her stuff. Movelle was funny, full of boundless energy, and she had a wonderful personality. Everyone respected her opinion. She was a fabulous cook and an equally talented seamstress putting together costumes for the musical every year. I will never be as strong as she was. She taught quite often the same day she received chemo. I don’t know how she did it. Movelle will always be my hero. In May of 2004 Movelle decided that it would be her last year to teach. She and her family planned to move back to her husband’s hometown and enjoy the rest of her life. She gave the baccalaureate speech to our senior class with her daughter part of the graduating class. Tears slid down the cheeks of those that knew what was happening. On graduation night she walked out on the field with our faculty wearing a clown wig because she had no hair. She was celebrating the graduation of her daughter. A little over a month later she was taken away from us. She gave a great fight and lost.
To honor Movelle each semester I make these Peanut Butter Bars and share my story of friendship with my students. Now I am sharing it with you. Enjoy!
Cream together 1/4 c. butter, 1/2 c. peanut butter & 1 c. sugar
Add to the mixture 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/4 cup of milk
Mix well.
Stir in 1 cup plain flour ,1 teaspoon baking powder, & 1/2 teaspoon salt
The batter will look like this.
Batter is ready for a 9 x 13 in. pan lined with parchment paper.
Ready to frost after baking at 375 for about 15-20 minutes.
While hot let 6 oz. of semi sweet chocolate chips melt and spread over the bars.
Cool a couple of hours or overnight before cutting.
Cool and ready to cut.
Movelle’s Peanut Butter Bars Yield about 2 dozen bars
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup plain flour
- 6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Cream butter, peanut butter and sugar. Add egg, vanilla, and milk. Stir in salt, flour, and baking powder. Pour into a 13×9 in. pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Immediately put chocolate chips on top of the bars. Allow a few minutes for the chips to melt. Spread melted chocolate over the bars. Cool completely before cutting about 2 hours or overnight. You could eat them right out of the pan with a spoon, but if you want a pretty bar cookie you need to be patient and let them cool.
Happy Cooking,
The Teacher Cooks
Here are the photos from 2nd block. Sorry that 1st block did not get to make theirs. Maybe another time! Notice that the class did not have time to let the bars cool so the results were almost better eaten out of the pan instead of trying to make a clean cut. Anyway they were really good and the class enjoyed them.
!st Block Kitchen 4
2nd Block Kitchen 1 Very good job!
2nd Block Kitchen 2 Using a little creativity!
2nd Block Kitchen 3 Hot and gooey goodness!
2nd Block Kitchen 4 Great Taste!
2nd Block Kitchen 5 Perfection!
2nd Block Kitchen 6 "loves" chocolate!
The Teacher Cooks 
Lovely tribute and delicious recipe.
Thanks for reminding us how special Movelle was to all of us. I intend to make these for my family and reminisce with them about this amazing woman. She truly was a role model for us all to follow. I miss her today as much as ever. Maybe one day my girls will make them for their children and tell stories of the woman who inspired us all.
Wow! I only knew Movell for four years, but what an impact she had on me. I have a very clear memory of looking out my window and seeing her walking into school after chemo. I knew she had blisters on her feet and felt awful, but I also knew that this school and these kids were so important to her. She was an awesome teacher, an example for all of us.
I first met Movelle in 1983 when we taught together at Lithia Springs High School. As I was a new teacher to the school, I could count on her support and advice. She was such a unique individual and fun to be around. She was a great teacher to all students. I am glad that I could call her my friend.
She was a wonderful woman.
I learned you have to make sure the chocolate is not shiny at all before they are ready to eat.
I learned that if you wait for them to cool they will come out prettier! Also they will cut easier!
I didnt think that these would be so easy to make, even though we didn’t get to make them.
You have to spread the chocolate over it as soon as it comes out of the oven so that it will melt.
I thought they would be better right out of the oven and hot but i learnd that they are better cooled.
Those cookies are so good, its not hard to spread the chocolate on the top of the cookies.
I didn’t know you can use baking powder to make peanut butter bars
well these bars looked really good and amazing and when you blended the all of the ingredients together to keep the bowl from moving you put a damp towel under it and i thought that was a neat little trick.
These cookies were so delicious. I was so sad when i found out that we couldn’y make them. I learned that you should wait until the they cool a little bit before spreading the chocolate.
I didn’t know that you could just use melted chocolate chips as a topping on the bars.
I learned that you have to put the chocolate on them right after it comes out of the oven so that it will melt! these were really good; even though we did not get to make them!
I learned to not use a cookie cutter to cut sticky chocolate as it is a hassle to clean.
I didn’t know you had to let them cool before you eat them.
It’s very easy to tell when the bars are done, but I learned that you have to be careful when spreading the chocolate
I learned that it needs to cool overnight before you cut it.
i didnt think something so easy to make could taste so good!. i learned that you can use parchment paper makes it easier to clean your pan and they wont stick!!.(:
Peanut Butter bars was easy to make and simple and they were really
good:)!
the thing to eat together is chocolcate &peanut butter
I leraned that you can use parchment paper to help it not stick to the pan
i really liked the bars basically because they had chocolate on them and i love chocolate and they came out great
I learned that if you let the bars cool they will be prettier and cut easier.
I learned that you have to wait for the bars to cool if you want a bar cookie.
I learned that making these cookies were very easy as long as you follow the directions, and the chocolate adds the perfect touch, delicious!
I didn’t know you have to cool it for a couple of hours before cutting it.
Not only is the recipe tasteful but it has a lot of protein in it. This would be a great snack before the football games.
I learned that the chocolate can’t be shiny or it isn’t ready.
I never would of thought of putting chocolate on peanut butter bars, but it goes well together.
I learned you have to pour the chocolate chips on it when it comes right out of the oven so that they would melt.
i learned that you had to cook it for 15 to 20 mins and then add the chocolate chips.
i didnt know that if you let the bars cool longer they will come out more awesome!
I learned that you have to let the bars cool before you can spread the chocolate chips on top.
i learned that the right ingrediants and the perfect steps can make a great dish.
I learned you have to make sure the chocolate is not shiny at all before they are ready to eat.
i learned that they have to cool over night for them to be ready.
i learned that u have to let cool down befor you get to eat them
I learned that you have to let the bars cool down before you eat them.
I learned you have to make sure the chocolate is not shiny at all before they are ready to eat.
I learned that if you let the cookies cool overnight they will be in bars and they will look better.
These were so good i went home and made them for my little brother. I learned that you have to be patient to spead the choclate chips on top.
I learned if you put them on parchment paper, it makes it way easier to remove and prepare to cut.
I’m so excited we got to make peanut bars today, there baking as we speak! I can’t wait to eat them tomorrow, I learned you must let them cool down to get the full effect!
i learned that the chocolate is not supposed to be shiney
i learned to let the bars cool for a couple of hours then apply the chocolate sauce.
this recipe looks sooooo good and with stuff i already have…i think i’m making them tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!! 😀
This looks amazing! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! Mrs. Murdock was an absolutely fabulous teacher and the very reason why I learned to excel in math from high school and onward. She always encouraged me and believed in me even when I had zero confidence in myself and my abilities. She made me laugh and made learning enjoyable. I will always remember her words from our baccalaureate and I am incredibly honored she spoke for our class. I leaned so much inside and outside the classroom from this woman. And learned that great wisdom can come from anywhere. Even from a woman with blue and pink hair. 🙂
She was an excellent teacher and I miss her!
movelle was actually my mom’s third cousin. i wish i had known her better. i am so happy to have this recepie to add to our family cookbook! thank you!
I am so happy! Enjoy Movelle’s work of art!
From a former 1980 student in Winchester Ky, wow just wow!!! I loved this lady so much. It was always a joy to walk in class and see her face. I knew she had breast cancer but had not realized it had taken her life. I’m so saddened by this news and I’m so sorry for the family. Thank you for sharing this. I can’t wait to make them.
She was loved by many!