Peanut Butter Crunch Bars (small Batch)

By Mariealicerayner @MarieRynr
 
Peanut Butter Crunch Bars!!!  These delicious bars are an easy no bake dessert recipe with a crisp and crunchy base made from crunchy peanut butter, Rice Krispies, corn syrup, peanut butter baking chips.  This is topped with a layer of melted semi-sweet chocolate for a dessert bar that tastes very much like one of your favorite candy bars! 
This is a recipe I bookmarked from a page called This Is Not Diet Food several weeks ago. I have only just not gotten around to making them as I kept forgetting to pick up the peanut butter baking chips when I went to the shops!
Does anyone else do that?  Go into a shop for a specific ingredient and come home with six other things, but having forgotten the initial thing you went in for?  Tell me I am not alone in this!  Please!
 
Anyways, I finally did pick up the chips and I finally did make the bars. I did a small batch however, making half the amount in a lined loaf tin rather than a full sized square tin.  Good thing too, as these are FAR too dangerous for the peanut butter lover that I am to have hanging around for very long!
They are rich and peanutty, and moreishly crunchy!  The semi-sweet chocolate coating on top of the bar helps to keep them from being overly sweet. They tasted very much like one of my favorite chocolate bars, but not quite as sweet!  I can see these being a popular addition to the holiday cookie tray!
Very simple and quick to make as well. Other than the set up time you can have these totally put together in about fifteen minutes time.  I do believe that they would also freeze well once set up.  Simply thaw overnight on the counter to serve.
 
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER CRUNCH BARS
Just a few simple ingredients.  I have endeavored as best as I can to provide European substitutions/equivalents for each ingredient.
  • 1/2 cup (90g) crunchy peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (87.5g) white corn syrup or golden syrup
  • 3/4 cup (135g) peanut butter baking chips
  • 2 cups (43g) crisp rice cereal
To top:
  • 3/4 cup (135g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 TBS butter

 
Most of the ingredients are quite available in the U.K and Europe, with the one exception being the peanut butter baking chips.  Those can be very difficult to find, although you can sometimes find them in ASDA, the Reese's brand.  You can also buy them in online American candy/baking supply shops. They can be rather pricey however.
My suggestion is to use white chocolate chips in their place. You could also use milk chocolate chips which would work very well, but your base of the bar would not be as light in color as the base with the peanut butter chips.  You will still have a very delicious bar!
 
HOW TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER CRUNCH BARS
These are really very simple to make.  Do keep a watch on the initial mixture however as it can catch very easily and will burn if you are not attentive!


Butter a 9 by 5-inch loaf tin and line with baking paper. Butter the baking paper. Set aside.Measure the peanut butter, sugar and corn syrup into a saucepan. Heat gently over medium heat, stirring until everything has melted and amalgamated. Do not allow to catch on the bottom.

 


As soon as the mixture starts to bubble remove from the heat. Str in the peanut butter chips until melted and smooth.Stir in the rice cereal until it is completely coated and mixed together. Press into the prepared loaf tin.Heat the semi-sweet chocolate chips along with the butter in the microwave at 30 second increments on high, until melted and smooth.


 
Pour this melted chocolate over top of the crisp peanut butter rice cereal base and smooth it out.


Leave at room temperature for about 3 hours until set. Cut into bars to serve and store any leftovers in an airtight container.

I put mine in the refrigerator to chill overnight. DON'T do this.  It will become as hard as a rock and very difficult to cut.
 
These were incredibly yummy and not quite as sweet as I expected them to be! The semi-sweet chocolate on top helps to cut down on some of the sweetness.  You could also use smooth peanut butter if you wished. 
They reminded me of my favorite crispy crunch chocolate bars.  They were also somewhat reminiscent of the British rocky road squares without the raisins and cherries.  Sort of.  They were delicious in any case! Very moreish!
  
If you are a smaller family or are just wanting smaller batches of treats to enjoy you may also enjoy the following small batch recipes!
SMALL BATCH CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS - Golden brown and studded generously with plenty of semi-sweet chocolate chips.  So good with a glass of ice-cold milk, or a cup of tea, a cup of coffee, or whatever beverage that floats your boat! This recipe makes 8 delicious servings.


SMALL BATCH JAM CRUMBLE BARS - These Small Batch Jam Crumble Bars are the bomb!  With their plain buttery cake bottoms, sweet jam filling and buttery crumble topping, they never fail to please! This recipe makes 8 bars.SMALL BATCH MAGIC COOKIE BARS - Everything you love about the full sized recipe but in a much smaller batch. 8 delicious bars layered with 7 layers of graham cracker crumbs, butter, sweetened condensed milk, coconut, toasted pecans and three kinds of chocolate chips!  Very yummy!


Yield: 8 squaresAuthor: Marie Rayner

Peanut Butter Crunch Bars (small batch)

Cook time: 15 MinInactive time: 3 HourTotal time: 3 H & 15 MCrisp, crunchy, rich and peanutty. The chocolate topping makes these taste almost like a candy bar.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (90g) crunchy peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (87.5g) white corn syrup or golden syrup
  • 3/4 cup (135g) peanut butter baking chips
  • 2 cups (43g) crisp rice cereal
To top:
  • 3/4 cup (135g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 TBS butter

Instructions

  1. Butter a 9 by 5-inch loaf tin and line with baking paper. Butter the baking paper. Set aside.
  2. Measure the peanut butter, sugar and corn syrup into a saucepan. Heat gently over medium heat, stirring until everything has melted and amalgamated. Do not allow to catch on the bottom.
  3. As soon as the mixture starts to bubble remove from the heat. Str in the peanut butter chips until melted and smooth.
  4. Stir in the rice cereal until it is completely coated and mixed together. Press into the prepared loaf tin.
  5. Heat the semi-sweet chocolate chips along with the butter in the microwave at 30 second increments on high, until melted and smooth.
  6. Pour this melted chocolate over top of the crisp peanut butter rice cereal base and smooth it out.
  7. Leave at room temperature for about 3 hours until set. Cut into bars to serve and store any leftovers in an airtight container
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