Today was supposed to be my first day back to work, the end of the holidays, back to the grind. Alas, I was cruelly struck down with a vicious cold thus forced to bid farewell to my fiancee and stay home. The truth is, I'd rather be at work than stuck indoors all day with a raging fever and pounding head. The only thing I could do to quell my boredom and illness was to drag my sorry self into the kitchen and make some peanut butter krispie bars. Not only did it relieve a little of my cabin fever (see what I did there, bored but ill..oh never mind) but it won't half earn me some brownie points when the boy gets home!
This recipe is from Baked - New Frontiers in Baking and is the first installment of my New Years Resolution. I've resurrected last years resolution of making something from each of my cookbooks and blogging the results. Stay tuned to see how I do in cooking Katies books!
Peanut Butter Krispy Bars
(Adapted from Baked - New Frontiers in Baking
)
)Ingredients
For the krispie layer:
1 3/4 cups of rice krispies
1/4 cup sugar
3tbsp golden syrup
3tbsp butter, melted
For the chocolate peanut butter layer:
5 ounces milk chocolate (I used dark, therefore I had no colour difference between the layers)
1 cup smooth peanut butter
For the chocolate icing:
3 ounces dark chocolate
1/2tsb golden syrup
4tbsp butter
Method:
Grease the bottom and sides of an 8" square baking pan. Pour the rice krispies into a bowl and set aside.
Pour 1/4 cup of water into a small saucepan, add the sugar and the syrup being careful not to get any on the sides of the pan. Stir gently to combine and set over a medium heat. Cook the caramel until a candy thermometer reaches 235C or soft ball stage.
Remove from the head and pour over the rice krispies. Working quickly, stir the cereal thoroughly until evenly coated in the caramel. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and press the mixture into an even layer using your hands. Let the crust cool to room temperature while you make the next layer.
In a small saucepan over a medium heat melt together the peanut butter and chocolate until smooth. Remove from the heat and continue to stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly. Pour the mixture over the prepared crust and place into the fridge for one hour or until the top layer hardens.
Once cool make the chocolate icing. In a large glass bowl combine the chocolate, butter and syrup. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, ensuring that the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Stir the chocolate and butter until melted and smooth, remove from the heat and pour over the peanut butter layer. Shake the tin gently to allow the chocolate to spread evenly. Place the tin into the fridge for one hour or until hard.
Cut into 9 squares before serving. These bars will keep for up to 4 days tightly wrapped in the fridge.
