Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bars

These taste great and are an addicting snack! 

Ingredients:

1 package (11.5 oz) Milk Chocolate Chips, divided

1 package (11 oz) Caramel Bits

2 Tablespoons water

1/2 Cup Peanut Butter Chips

8 oz of Mini Twist Pretzels

Directions:

Place the chocolate chips in a small microwavable bowl. (Reserve about 1/4 cup of chips for later). Melt in microwave in 20 second intervals until melted.Stir between intervals.

Spread the melted chocolate on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Place pretzels on top of the chocolate, they can overlap. Press down slightly.

Place the caramel bits in a microwavable bowl with water. Melt in microwave 20 seconds at a time until melted. Stir every 20 seconds. Stir; then drizzle and spread over the pretzels. Let Cool.

  Place the reserved 1/4 cup of chocolate chips in a sandwich size zip lock bag. Melt in the microwave 10 seconds at a time until smooth. Knead  gently with your fingers between 10 second intervals. Drizzle over the cooled caramel. Repeat with the peanut butter chips.

Let cool.  Then cut into squares.  Keep in an airtight container. 

 

Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Cookies

These soft, but crispy on the outside cookies with a creamy peanut butter filling are just delightful.  If you love chocolate and peanut butter, you'll absolutely LOVE these.

Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Cookies

Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients:

DOUGH:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar (plus 1/3 cup for dipping)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg 

1 to 4 Tablespoons milk, if needed                                    

FILLING:
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

Prepare dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In another medium bowl, beat together sugars, butter, and peanut butter until very light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg, beating to combine.

Stir in dry ingredients, blending well.

If dough is too dry add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until smooth and well mixed.  The dough should be very thick, but moist enough to form into a smooth ball.

Prepare filling: In a small bowl, stir together peanut butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Scoop out 1 scant Tablespoon full and with floured hands, roll the filling into 24 one-inch balls. Set aside.

Shape cookies: Scoop out about 2 Tablespoons of the dough, roll it into a ball with your hands, then flatten it out into a circle. Place one of the peanut butter balls into the middle of the circle of dough. Bring the dough up and over the filling, pressing it closed.  Roll the cookie in the palms of your hands into a smooth ball. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

Place 1/3 cup granulated sugar into a small bowl.

Roll each cookie in granulated sugar and place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Grease the bottom of a drinking glass and use it to flatten each cookie slightly. (I just flatten them a little with the palm of my hand.)

Bake cookies for 7 to 11 minutes, until they're set.  Press your finger into the top of the cookie slightly.  Your finger should not leave an indentation if the cookie is done. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack.

                                                                      Thanks, Jessica, for the great picture.

No Bake Chocolate Caramel Bars aka Snickers

This is a repost.  It's so hot and summery.  Nobody wants to heat up the kitchen baking treats.  These are a wonderful alternative.  So delicious!
These things are very rich and delicious.  One is probably enough, even for a chocolate lover.  Super yummy candy.  I think you'll like them.

Makes one 9×13 pan
About 40 servings


Bottom chocolate layer:
1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter

Thoroughly grease your baking pan. (Better yet, line the pan with greased aluminum foil.)  Melt ingredients together in a saucepan or microwave, then pour into the pan and spread until even. Let cool and harden completely. About 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

Nougat layer:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups marshmallow crème
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups salted peanuts, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in sugar and milk, stirring until dissolved and bring to a boil. Let cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in marshmallow crème, peanut butter and vanilla, stirring until smooth. Turn off heat and fold in peanuts, then pour over bottom chocolate layer and smooth out quickly. Let cool completely. About 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Caramel layer:
1 14-ounce bag of caramels, unwrapped, about 2 cups
1/4 cup whipping cream or evaporated milk

Combine ingredients in a saucepan over low heat. Let melt, stirring occasionally, until smooth –about 10 minutes. Pour over nougat layer and spread smoothly. Let cool completely. About 45 minutes in the refrigerator.

Top chocolate layer:
1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter

Melt ingredients together in a saucepan or microwave, then pour over caramel and spread until even. Let cool and harden completely.

 Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.  Lift out of the pan still on the foil.  Place on cutting board and then cut as desired. These can stay at room temperature, but they do get very gooey and the top chocolate layer tends to slide off.  It’s better to keep them refrigerated.

Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle

This is SERIOUS deliciousness!

Makes 20 servings (1 cup each)

Ingredients:
1 fudge brownie mix (13-inch x 9-inch pan size)
1 package (10 ounces) peanut butter chips
2 packages (13 ounces each) miniature peanut butter cups (I've also used Miniature Snickers Peanut Butter Bars.)
4 cups cold 2% milk
2 packages (5.1 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup creamy peanut butter
4 teaspoons vanilla extract (YES, that's 4 teaspoons.)
3 cartons (8 ounces each) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:
Prepare brownie batter according to package directions; stir in peanut butter chips. Bake in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan at 350° F. for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs (do not overbake).
Cool on a wire rack; then cut into 3/4-in. pieces. (These don't have to be exact.)
Cut peanut butter cups in half; set aside 1/3 cup for garnish.
In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes(mixture will be thick). Add peanut butter and vanilla; mix well. Fold in 1-1/2 cartons whipped topping. (I'll admit I hesitated to add the peanut butter to the pudding, but WOW that stuff was good.)
Place a third of the brownies in a 5-qt. glass bowl; top with a third of the remaining peanut butter cups. Spoon a third of the pudding mixture over the top.
Repeat layers twice. (You'll have three layers of each ingredient.)
Cover with remaining whipped topping; garnish with reserved peanut butter cups.
Refrigerate until chilled.

I layered these in clear plastic cups and used as individual servings.  They were a big hit.  Try them for a  shower or other party.  If you like chocolate and you like peanut butter, you can't go wrong with these.

Butterfinger Bites

Just 3 ingredients. These are easy to make. They taste, "AWESOME!" according to my son-in-law.

Such a wonderful treat and HEALTHY! Wheat Thins--whole grain crackers=healthy. Peanut Butter--protein=healthy. Chocolate--yummy=okay maybe not so healthy. But 2 out of 3--that's pretty good. I declare that healthy.

Here's what you'll need:
1 (10 oz.) box original Wheat Thins crackers
1 cup creamy peanut butter
16 ounces dipping chocolate, almond bark, or candy melts

First, line a cookie pan with waxed paper. Lay out your Wheat Thins in a single layer all over the pan. My pan didn't quite hold the entire box. You could use more that one pan.

Next, take a zipper sandwich bag and spray the inside with non-stick cooking spray. This will keep the peanut butter from sticking to the bag. Plop about a cup of creamy peanut butter into the bag. Now, zip up the bag and cut off a small corner to make a hole in the bag. Squeeze about a half teaspoon of peanut butter onto the top of each cracker on your cookie pan. I didn't measure. I just "eyeballed" it. You can use a half teaspoon measuring spoon, but the bag is so much faster and easier. Then just throw away the bag and NO cleanup. Hooray!

Place a Wheat Thins cracker on top of each peanut butter topped cracker on the cookie pan.

Melt chocolate according to package directions. Or melt chocolate in microwave at 50 percent power for one minute; stir. Return to microwave at 30 second intervals until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Remember to stir after each 30 seconds. Chocolate does not look melted until you stir it. You don't want to scorch it.

Finally, dip cracker "sandwiches" in chocolate to coat.

Set on waxed paper on cookie pans.

Place in refrigerator or freezer for 10-15 minutes to set completely. Eat and enjoy.

Store in an airtight container.
Somebody commented that these are better than Butterfingers. I don't know about that, but they sure are scrumptious and WAY healthier than Butterfingers.
Try some for yourself. I think you'll be glad you did.
I made about 48, but I only used one pan; and not the entire box of Wheat Thins.