Sweet And Salty Peanut Butter Bars Recipes

SWEET AND SALTY PEANUT BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray (without flour).
• In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, 1/2 cup butter, the vanilla and egg until soft dough forms. Press in pan. Bake 15 minutes or until set.
• Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, heat caramels, 2 tablespoons butter and the condensed milk over medium-low heat 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until caramels are melted. Remove from heat. Carefully pour filling over partially baked crust; spread evenly. Sprinkle with peanuts. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until filling is bubbly. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack, about 1 hour. Cut into 6 rows by 4 rows.

SWEET AND SALTY PEANUT BUTTER BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
• Whisk together the cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the peanut butter, butter, sugar, and brown sugar until thoroughly combined. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
• Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add the cracker mixture, mixing just until combined.
• Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake 22 to 25 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Remove the pan from the oven. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the bars, and let stand for about 5 minutes. Then spread the chocolate over the bars. Allow the chocolate to set before cutting into bars.

SWEET AND SALTY CRUNCHY NUT BARS

Steps:

• Be still my beating heart! Or perhaps this is not the best thing to say here, given the likelihood of this lusciously over-the-top piece of chocolate excess inducing just such an outcome. I wouldn't want to make this very often, so impossible is it to walk away from with any conviction. I fear it is the kitchen equivalent to crack cocaine.
• Still, as the French say "Everything in moderation, even moderation." This is gloriously intemperate, riotously vulgar. I love it.
• The key is the blaring balance between sweet and salty: it's like several klaxons going off in your head as you eat. And it's strange that while I would normally eschew an all-milk chocolate offering, I prefer it here to the bittersweet-and-milk mixed version. Not that either is bad, and since the jury is matched on this, I feel it only right to alert you to either option. For what it's worth, I like the darker version in the round pan and cut into panforte-type skinny wedges, and my preferred milk chocolate version set in a rectangular pan and cut into chunky, squat slabs (rather as I feel and look like after eating too many of them).
• Line your springform pan with aluminum foil or use a foil pan.
• Break up or chop the chocolate into pieces, and drop into a heavy-based saucepan. Add the butter and syrup, put on a low heat, and melt gently together.
• Tip the peanuts into a bowl, and crush the honeycomb candy with your hands, letting the golden-glinting rubble fall into the nuts.
• Take the melted chocolate mixture off the heat and stir in the peanuts and crushed honeycomb candy, then tip straight into the springform pan or foil pan. Smooth the top of the mixture as much as you can, pressing down with a silicon spatula or vinyl-disposable-gloved hand. Put into the refrigerator for about 4 hours, and once set, cut into slices as desired.
• Make Ahead Note: The bars can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer slices to airtight container, layered with parchment paper, and store in refrigerator. Keeps for 3 to 4 days.

SWEET & SALTY PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE PRETZEL BARS

Steps:

• Line an 8x8 or 9x9 inch baking dish with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. (I used the butter wrappers to grease but did not put any foil in the pan).
• In the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric mixer, beat together 3/4 cup peanut butter, butter, and vanilla extract until creamy.
• Add confectioners' sugar and brown sugar.
• Slowly beat sugars into peanut butter until well-combined. Add 1 1/2 cup pretzels and beat to combine.
• Press mixture into the bottom of prepared baking dish.
• In a microwave safe bowl, melt together chocolate chips and remaining 1/4 cup peanut butter.
• Stir until smooth. Pour over the top and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of crushed pretzels. Press down lightly.
• Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before cutting into bars and serving.

SALTY-SWEET PEANUT BUTTER SANDIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick liners. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars until smooth and fluffy, at least 3 minutes. Add the peanut butter and eggs, and mix. Add the flour and salt and mix just until well combined, with no white flour showing.
• Using a small cookie scoop (about 2 teaspoons capacity), scoop dough onto prepared pans. The tops will be rounded but craggy. The cookies will not spread much or change shape when they bake, so they can be placed quite close together, but leave room for air circulation so they can brown.
• In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons sugar with 1 tablespoon salt. Sprinkle each cookie lightly with sugar-salt mixture, getting it into the crags and crannies. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until cookies are set and golden-brown. Carefully lift or slide off baking sheets and cool on racks. Store in layers separated by parchment paper, in airtight containers.