CHUBBY HUBBY Chocolate Peanut BARS
2 cups all-purpose flour..............................1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt.................................................3/4 (12 TB) cup butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar..............................1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs.........................................................1 TB vanilla
1-1/2 cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups crushed pretzels (do this in a sealed freezer baggie ~ smash with rolling pin)
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
TOPPING:
1/4 cup mini (baking) Reese's pieces
1/4 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter chips
Milk Chocolate Drizzle
Melt about 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips or melting wafers (about 45 seconds in microwave) ~ whisk in about 1-2 tsp. milk until smooth. Can add some more chocolate if it's too thin to drizzle. Drizzle over bars about 5 minutes after them come out of the oven.
This makes enough for 9x13" pan. If you want just an 8" square pan, you can cut the recipe in half (it will be a little bit taller in the pan, so check with cake tester at 18 min. to see if it's done, or needs the full 20 min. or a minute or so longer)
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 baking dish with foil (with enough to extend over 2 sides) ~ spray with non-stick baking spray (containing flour) and set aside. (TIP: the reason you extend foil over the sides is so that you can just lift the entire sheet of bars out of the pan later to cut)
In a bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Beat butter and sugars in your electric mixer bowl until light and fluffy ~ stop and gradually add eggs and vanilla. ** Scrape down sides and GRADUALLY add in dry ingredients (on low) until somewhat blended, then raise to medium just until incorporated. Take bowl off mixer and fold in chocolate chips, chopped pretzels and chopped peanuts. (If you do that on the mixer, the chocolate chips may flake).
Spread batter in prepared pan ~ sprinkle evenly with topping ingredients and gently press down.
Bake for about 18-20 minutes (until starting to get golden at the edges). Cool on a rack for a few minutes before doing drizzle (or not). Either way, let them cool about 1/2 hour or so before cutting into pieces to serve.
TIP: If you want to substitute Holiday MIni Baking M&Ms (red & green) on top ~ that's fine too ~ or you could put some sprinkles on top about 5 minutes before they're done baking (if you do it before baking entirely, they may melt) **