peanut butter crispy bars*

Can I just tell you how much I LOVE my husband!! Today he showed up to my work after he got out of school and surprised me with a Frosty from Wendy's (hey, biggest loser doesn't start til next week). Then I got home from work and he had bought me some of that Laughing Cow cheese spread that I have wanted to try for the longest time (still haven't tried it but I'll let you know how it goes). And finally, he had this beautiful dinner ready and on the table when I walked through the door!

Yes, MY husband made this amazingness! BBQ chicken - crispy on the edges just how I like it - olives, kidney beans, boiled eggs, cherry tomatoes, romaine, croutons (my favorite food), and topped with some of our delicious homemade buttermilk ranch!! I am one lucky woman!!

Today was the last day of the open house at work, which is bittersweet. I have been very short-handed at work lately and it's been pretty crazy, but I have LOVED that I could make time to be able to cook recipes that I have found and wanted to try. I am overly ambitious sometimes and decide to go a little over the top, but all of the extra work has been worth it. I think it turned out really well even though it's been crazy trying to squeeze it all in.

Today we made some peanut butter crispy bars. Oh my!!! SO GOOD! They are melt in your mouth chocolatey peanut buttery crunchy AHHH! Really, I went over to the open house just so that I could eat one! We barely had enough of everything that a lot of the stuff we sent over there we couldn't even try or we only had a teeny tiny taste. These are worth the walk across campus I tell ya!

Peanut Butter Crispy Bars
from Tracey's Culinary Adventures

Crust
1 3/4 cups crisped rice cereal
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Milk Chocolate-Peanut Butter Layer
5 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup creamy peanut butter

Chocolate Icing
3 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

To make the crust: Lightly spray a paper towel with nonstick cooking spray and use it to rub the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan. (I lined my pan with aluminum foil (which I sprayed with the cooking spray) so the bars could simply be lifted out once they set.)

Put the cereal in a large bowl and set aside. Put 1/4 cup water into a saucepan. Add the sugar and corn syrup to the pan and use a small wooden spoon to stir the mixture just until combined. Cook over medium-high heat and bring to a boil; cook until the mixture reaches 235 F on a candy thermometer.

Remove from the heat, stir in the butter and pour the mixture over the cereal. Working quickly, stir until the cereal is thoroughly coated, then pour into the prepared pan. Using your hands or a rubber spatula, press the cereal mixture into the bottom of the pan only. Let cool to room temperature while you make the next layer.

To make the milk chocolate-peanut butter layer: In a large nonreactive metal bowl stir together the chocolate and peanut butter. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook until the mixture is smooth, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for about 30 seconds to cool slightly. Pour the mixture over the cooled crust. Put the pan in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until the top layer hardens.

To make the chocolate icing: In a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the chocolate, corn syrup and butter. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook until the mixture is completely smooth, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for about 30 seconds to cool slightly. Pour the mixture over the cooled milk chocolate-peanut butter layer and spread into an even layer. I recommend simply tilting the pan to spread the chocolate around as opposed to using a rubber spatula which is more likely to disturb the layer below. Put the pan in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until the topping hardens.
Cut into 16 (or 9) squares and serve. The bars can be stored tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Looking at the recipe it might seem like a lot and kind of intimidating, but it's really not hard! It does take some time waiting for it to refrigerate and set up, but it is well worth the wait I promise! I am going to be making these again soon!

-alyssa*