Sticky-Fingers Bars

The Project Pastry Queen group has baked and cooked through quite a bit of The Pastry Queen already but somehow, the section towards the back of the book has been neglected.  It’s a little section devoted to treats for kids and though there aren’t little kids in our house, it doesn’t mean that the big kids here can’t enjoy some of the good stuff!  These sticky-fingers bars have intrigued me since I first bought the book and when my turn rolled around again to choose a recipe, I honed in on this one.

Snickers bars, peanut butter, peanuts (both baked into the crust and as a topping), and chocolate are the main players in these bars…how could they not be fantastic?  I think Shawnda may have done a little happy dance when she read my choice. 🙂 Step-by-step you’ll work your way through the recipe: peanut-laden crust, sliced Snickers bars, ooey-gooey caramel filling, peanut butter, more peanuts, and finally a healthy drizzle of bittersweet chocolate.  You’ll have to fight the urge to bust into them during the chill period in the fridge but trust me…trust me…you’ll forget about all the steps and lose yourself in candy bar heaven with the first bite.

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Sticky-Fingers Bars
source: Rebecca Rather, The Pastry Queen

For the crust:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
4 (2.07 oz) Snickers bars

For the filling:
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Lyle’s Golden Corn Syrup or light corn syrup
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

1 cup smooth peanut butter (creamy or natural works)
1 cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
3 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

To make the crust:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving several inches hanging over the short ends of the pan.  Grease the foil with butter or cooking spray.

Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl on medium speed about 1 minute, until creamy.  Add the flour and peanuts and mix on medium-low speed just until incorporated.  Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.  Set aside to cool about 10 minutes. Decrease the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Cut the Snickers bars into 1/4-inch-thick pieces.  Cover the top of the crust with an even layer of Snickers slices, leaving about 1/4-inch between slices.

To make the filling:
Whisk the eggs, sugar, syrup, butter, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl until combined.  Pour the mixture over the crust and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until set (it should not wiggle when you remove the pan from the oven).  Cool for 20-30 minutes.

Spread the peanut butter in an even layer on top of the filling.  Add the chopped peanuts in an even layer.  Melt the chocolate in a small bowl in a microwave on medium-high.  Check every 30 seconds to ensure the chocolate does not burn.  Stir until smooth.  Use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate over the chopped peanuts.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.  Grab the foil edges and lift the bars out of the pan and cut into bars.

Well-wrapped, bars will keep about 5 days at room temperature and about 3 weeks frozen.

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