chocolate peanut butter crispy bars.

Chocolate. Peanut Butter. Rice krispies.

This variation has been done to death but it remains no less captivating. So what that distinguishes one chocolate peanut butter bar from the next lies in the details. And if I were to pick at this recipe, I would say that I have a few grouses. Because for such a calorie-dense treat, anything less than perfect is not worth the extra pounds.

For starters, I felt that the cereal layer was too thin and the ratio of sugar syrup to cereal is a bit high. When I removed the bars from the aluminum foil, they stuck to it stubbornly because the rice krispie layer was too sticky. The high moisture content also made the rice krispies soften considerably. The simplest solution would be to increase the quantity of cereal.

Secondly, the chocolate icing had too much butter. Straight out from the fridge, I could taste it somewhere amongst the nuances of chocolate. It becomes less noticeable after the bar has warmed up a little though. Cutting back on the butter would result in a firmer chocolate topping and that is a trade I would be willing to make. Besides, that would mean that the topping can hold up at room temperature longer without becoming too gooey.

It sounds like this recipe is a huge flop but it isn't really. It could be better, but still. With a few changes, in particular the cereal layer, it's not that bad a bar. For something really worth your calories, I would strongly recommend this. Make it!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Bars
makes an 8 x 8 inch pan's worth
recipe adapted from Baked

1 3/4 cups crisped rice cereal (I would use more, maybe an extra 3/4 to 1 cup)
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp light corn syrup
3 tbsp butter
5 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup peanut butter
3 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp light corn syrup
4 tbsp butter

Prepare an 8 x 8 inch pan. I line it with aluminum foil for easy removal.

For the crust: Pour 1/4 cup of water into a small saucepan. Add the sugar and 3 tbsp corn syrup and stir to combine. Cook over medium high heat until the mixture reaches 235F. Remove from heat and stir in the 3 tbsp butter, swirling the pan until it melts and integrates homogeneously into the sugar syrup. Pour the mixture over the cereal and stir until the cereal is thoroughly coated, working quickly. Press the mixture into the pan and let it cool to room temperature.

For the chocolate peanut butter layer: Melt the milk chocolate and peanut butter together in a bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly before pouring onto the crust. Refrigerate until set, at least an hour. A freezer would speed things up considerably.

For the dark chocolate icing: Melt the dark chocolate, 4 tbsp butter and 1/2 tsp corn syrup in a bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool slightly before pouring over the chocolate peanut butter layer. Place the pan back into the fridge until the topping hardens.