Peanut Butter and Pretzel Bars (PB&P’s)

I know…another dessert-y thing.

But I’ve been under the weather this past week and many of you have asked for this recipe.  I made these several weeks ago for a party after my son’s piano recital and they were a huge hit.  Who can resist the chocolate/peanut butter combination along with the saltiness of the pretzels?

I adapted the recipe just slightly, substituting my beloved dark chocolate instead of the milk chocolate called for in the recipe.

peanut butter and pretzel bars, from No Bake Makery by Cristina Krumsick

*I doubled this recipe using a 9″x 13″ inch pan

3 cups salted mini pretzels

1 cup salted creamy peanut butter

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup packed, light brown sugar

10 tbsp (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp) powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 Tbsp coconut oil (or additional butter)

Line an 8 x 8″ baking pan with foil, coat with non stick spray. Set aside.

Roughly crush 2 cups of the mini pretzels, either by pulsing in a food processor, or buy putting them into a sandwich bag and crushing them with a rolling pin.

Combine the peanut butter, butter and sugars in a small bowl, then stir in the crushed pretzels. Press this mixture evenly into the lined pan, and chill for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips and the coconut oil (or 1 Tbsp butter, if using) on the stovetop in a double boiler, stirring almost constantly until just melted.  Remove from heat and pour over your pan with the peanut butter mixture.  Spread with a spatula.

Tap the pan against a hard surface to even out the chocolate a bit more.

Place 16 mini pretzels evenly in a grid pattern on top of the chocolate (they’ll be your guide for cutting the bars). Place back in refrigerator or freezer until set.

Lift the foil out of the pan with the bars, peel the foil off, then using a sharp knife, cut into squares.

Store in refrigerator or freezer.

Casey’s chocolate and beet brownies

My son and his friend drifted upstairs from the family room where they had been playing video games.

“It smells so good in here.  What’re you making?”

homemade peanut butter cups

 

I have no memory of my first Reese’s Peanut Butter cup, only that I have always loved them.  Between living a short three hour drive from the Hershey Amusement Park and chocolate factory and having a relative who worked for the Hershey company when I was a kid, our family had a seemingly endless supply of the treats available to us.