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.

[/print_this]

Sticky-Fingers Bars

  • Prep Time: 1hr (inactive) + 25min (active)
  • Cook Time: 37-45min
  • Yield: 24 - 36 bars

Ingredients

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

Instructions

  • 01

    To make the crust: Preheat the oven to 375° 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.

  • 02

    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° F. Cut the Snickers bars into ¼-inch-thick pieces.  Cover the top of the crust with an even layer of Snickers slices, leaving about ¼-inch between slices.

  • 03

    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.

  • 04

    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.

  • 05

    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.

adapted from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather

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Leave a Comment

  • May 15, 2011 at 2:05 PM

    wow…these look amazing!! i just saw fake ginger make them and had to come running over to see how they are made b/c i kinda may need to make these. like, asap!

  • May 15, 2011 at 2:43 PM

    This looks really really good. I don’t have snickers at home now otherwise I would be making them probably straight away. Maybe its good I don’t have snickers – baking these in the evening would interrupt my sleep:)

  • May 15, 2011 at 4:28 PM

    Awesome big kid treat! Looks so tasty 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

  • May 15, 2011 at 4:45 PM

    These look delicious! They would be so dangerous to have in my house!

  • May 15, 2011 at 5:28 PM

    Pure yum right there. The combination of ingredients would make it impossible for me to resist these.

  • May 15, 2011 at 5:52 PM

    I would definitely have to give these away after making them because I just love Snickers bars. They look delicious!

  • May 15, 2011 at 6:47 PM

    Oh, this looks SOOOOOOOOO much better than a snickers bar!

  • May 15, 2011 at 10:18 PM

    Those bars look amazing! I didn’t know you could make a Snicker’s bar even more delicious.

  • May 16, 2011 at 12:41 AM

    Oh my goodness… I could eat up all of those all on my own!! Beautiful bars!

  • May 16, 2011 at 6:54 AM

    These look seriously wicked. Chocolate and peanuts are the best combo ever.

  • May 16, 2011 at 5:56 PM

    Yum, these look dangerous! I can’t wait to try them! 🙂

  • May 17, 2011 at 10:34 AM

    These sound amazing. I have this book. Gonna have to make this recipe. Her bakery in Fredericksburg is a-maz-ing.

  • May 17, 2011 at 11:22 AM

    Baking with classic candy bars is so fun and I think I know a couple of kids, big and small who would love these bars. Thanks for sharing.

  • May 17, 2011 at 4:03 PM

    Oh my gosh are you kidding me??? I need these right now! They sound heavenly!!! I can’t wait to make them. Thanks for posting this!!!

  • May 17, 2011 at 5:36 PM

    Um – these look amazing. I love snickers..and peanuts..and chocolate.. oh my.

  • May 18, 2011 at 12:21 AM

    Wow…those sound amazing…and deadly. A full pan left in my house would easily be consumed…by me alone! I can’t wait to tempt my self control!

  • Lynne
    May 19, 2011 at 10:13 AM

    OMG! I made these straight away but didn’t have the snickers bars so I used Paydays and let me tell you the end results didn’t make it through the night here with my crew.

  • May 23, 2011 at 8:44 PM

    Wow these bars look amazing! I love all the flavors especially the addition of those snickers. Yum!

  • Joy
    May 24, 2011 at 10:45 PM

    Those look wonderful.

  • Corinne
    August 16, 2011 at 11:02 AM

    Thank you so much for this amazing recipe! My uncle passed away the other day after a long, brave battle with ALS. He LOVED Snickers bars, and in his last days, he couldn’t get enough of them. So, I’m going to make these wonderful cookie bars to take to his wake on Thursday in his honor 🙂

    • smellslikehome
      August 17, 2011 at 9:03 AM

      Corinne: I’m so sorry to hear about your loss; my thoughts are with you. I hope these bars bring you and your family much happiness and many loving memories of your uncle. What a wonderful tribute to him!

      • Corinne
        September 8, 2011 at 11:46 PM

        Thanks you so much for your thoughtful reply! The bars turned out wonderfully, and they were a big hit at the wake. My aunt and cousins were so touched by the incorporation of Snickers into the dessert. Thanks again!