Peanut Butter Crispy Bars

My roommate made these great grown-up version of Rice Krispy Treats this weekend. Since I've been slacking on the cooking and baking end (the frozen aisle of TJ's is my best friend these days and, according to Susan, is the first place you should look should I ever go missing), I'll share with you the recipe for these yummy bars that my roommate made.

She has this great book from a bakery in New York, called Baked. I was flipping through the book and the desserts in there looked amazing. I'm eyeing a brownie recipe that I might have to try one of these days. But for now, here are some Peanut Butter Crispy bars to tide you over.

These rice crispies are layered with a generous amount of peanut butter milk chocolate and then topped with a dark chocolate icing. My roommate calls these fatty bars, because they are really rich and chocolaty. Just a small bar is enough to satisfy any chocolate, peanut butter cravings you might be having. This apparently is kept refrigerated at the Baked bakery, so it's best served cold.

Peanut Butter Crispy Bars

Baked

For the crispy crust:

1 3/4 cups crisped rice cereal

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons light corn syrup

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the milk chocolate peanut butter layer:

5 ounces good-quality milk chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 cup creamy peanut butter

For the 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

Make the crispy 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.

Put the cereal in a large bowl and set aside. Pour 1/4 cup water into a small saucepan. 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, 235 degrees F.

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 it into the prepared pan. Using your hands, press the mixture into the bottom of the pan (do not press up the sides). Let the crust cool to room temperature while you make the next layer.

Make 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 cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for about 30 seconds to cool lightly. Pour the mixture over the cooled crust. Put the pan in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until the top layer hardens.

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, 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 for 1 hour or until the topping hardens.

Cut into 9 squares and serve. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator, covered tightly, for up to 4 days.