Sweet, Salty and a Little Trashy

Peanut butter cookie base topped with crushed potato chips and peanuts, homemade toffee and chocolate.

Sweet & Salty Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg

Directions:
3/4 cup crushed potato chips (I used Lays, but they were too greasy)
1/3 cup salted peanut halves, toasted

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup dark/bittersweet chocolate chips (about 7-ish ounces)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking dish, or an 11x8-inch baking dish, with foil; coat foil with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together 1/4 cup butter, peanut butter, and granulated sugar, until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low, and beat in flour mixture until combined.
Scrape batter into prepared pan, and spread evenly.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until edges are light golden brown, and crust is firm. Remove pan from oven; reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Plunge the pan into a larger pan filled with ice water, to cool quickly.

When crust is cool, sprinkle potato chips over crust, followed by peanuts.

Melt the additional 6 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan, over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar, and bring mixture to a boil, stirring a few times. When sugar starts to boil, do not stir. Allow to boil for 5-6 minutes, or until it starts to brown. Quickly take the pan off the heat, and pour toffee mixture evenly over potato chips and peanuts.

Bake for 10 minutes, at 350 degrees F. Remove pan from oven, sprinkle chocolate chips over toffee, and place back in oven for 2 minutes. Remove pan from oven, and spread chocolate evenly over bars.

Cool on a wire rack, completely, before slicing. To speed up the cooling process and help with slicing, place the bars in the freezer, and chill until very cold and firm.

Yield: Depends on what pan you use, and how big you slice them. I used an 8-inch dish, and I think I cut them into 12 squares.