Peanut Butter Crispy Bars

I first saw these crispy little pieces of peanut butter heaven on a TV show called Unique Sweets. The show highlights different dessert items from all over the country. This was from a place in NY called Baked. They're sort of like an amped up version of a rice krispie treat. SO good, and really simple to make too!
 My friend, Sean, was hanging out with me one afternoon as I was making them and so I asked him if he would mind being a taste tester for me. Of course, he did and he loved them! Actually, I think "obscenely delicious" was the phrase he used. I must say I have to agree with him! They're really THAT good! They're more crunchy than the usual rice krispie treat, and then they have this SINFUL layer of creamy rich peanut butter, almost like fudge. Then, as if that's not enough, there's a layer of chocolate icing, sort of like a ganache on the top. It all definitely falls into the category of "how can this not be good?"  REALLY rich and decadent, but SO addictive at the same time.
 I didn't make them exactly as the original recipe directed. I just fiddled a little bit with the amounts of each ingredient, but the technique was all the same. The original recipe was for an 8x8 square pan and I wanted to use a 9x13 pan, so I just changed a few things. I think it worked pretty well!!! 
Make these for your next party! I betcha everyone will devour them!


CRISPY LAYER:

4 cups crisped rice cereal
Nonstick cooking spray
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
6 tablespoons light corn syrup
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

MILK CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER LAYER: 

12 oz bag milk chocolate chips
16 oz jar creamy peanut butter

 CHOCOLATE ICING: 

12 oz bag semi sweet chocolate chips 
1 stick (8 tbs) butter
1 tsp corn syrup


For the crispy layer:
Put the cereal in a large bowl and set aside. Lightly spray a paper towel with nonstick cooking spray and use it to rub the bottom and sides of an 9x13 baking pan.
Into a small saucepan, pour 1/2 cup water. Gently add the sugar and corn syrup (do not let any sugar or syrup get on the sides of the pan) and use a small wooden spoon to stir the mixture until just combined. Put a candy thermometer in the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Cook until the mixture reaches the soft-ball stage, 235F. Remove from the heat, stir in the butter and pour the mixture over the cereal. Working quickly, stir until the cereal is thoroughly coated, and then pour it into the prepared pan. Using your hands, press the mixture into the bottom of the pan (do not press up the sides). Let it cool to room temperature while you make the next layer.


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

For 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 heat, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly. Pour the mixture over the chilled milk chocolate peanut butter layer and spread into an even layer. Put the pan in the refrigerator until the topping hardens, about an hour.

Cut into 24 even squares and serve. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator, covered tightly, for up to 4 days.


 Tips:
Instead of spraying a paper towel and greasing the pan, I sprayed the pan with nonstick spray, then lined it with parchment paper, letting some hang over the sides, then sprayed it again. Then after it was chilled it was easy to just lift the whole batch out of the pan in one piece, using the parchment paper as a sling. I always use this method whenever I make any kind of bars because it's easy to make perfect cuts with a big knife, and it doesn't ruin the pan. Simple, right?
I sliced them into 24 bars, just as I would do with brownies, but you could easily stretch them a little further by cutting them into smaller squares. They're rich enough that a smaller serving would still work.