Chocolate Topped Frito-Peanut Butter-Pretzel Bars

Sometimes I really don't know what I'm thinking when I come up with these recipes. They sound like a good idea at the time, but later on they seem crazy. Take these bars for instance: Chocolate Topped Frito-Peanut Butter-Pretzel Bars.

I probably made these two months ago. I'm trying to remember why I made them in the first place. Oh, okay - I had been thinking about creating a chocolate-pretzel-peanut butter cookie for some time. This is, like, my favorite snack in the whole world - pretzels dipped in peanut butter with an ice cold glass of chocolate milk.

I was also influenced by the Take 5 candy bar, which I had never had until a few months ago. That is the best damn candy bar in the world. WHY are they not more popular? If you don't know what a Take 5 is, it's a candy bar layered with pretzel, peanut butter, caramel, peanuts and milk chocolate. I'm a huge fan of sweet and salty combos.

I created my own version of the candy bar, but I used Fritos in a cookie base for the bottom of the cookie, topped with pretzels, peanuts, peanut butter, caramel, and semisweet chocolate. So I guess this is a Take 6 bar.
Nah, I'll just stick with Chocolate Topped Frito-Peanut Butter-Pretzel Bars.



These were good, but a little sloppy looking, and my pictures didn't turn out well. I ended up sneaking the bars into work, leaving them on a table, and walking away. Within ten minutes, they were completely gone. I sheepishly admitted to my fellow employees that I made them. I hate bringing baked goods into work because I never know what people are going to say about them. I know I need to get used to criticism and feedback if I'm going to do this for a living, but it's difficult.

Thankfully, everyone liked them, and a woman I work with came up to me the other night and spoke with me about the bars and wanted the recipe. And I made them months ago! So I guess these cookies made quite an impression. Although it seems like if anyone brings ANYTHING into work to eat, it gets eaten instantly.

Chocolate Topped Frito-Peanut Butter-Pretzel Bars (Recipe by Me)
Printable Recipe

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely crushed Fritos
3 cups very coarsely chopped or broken up pretzels
1 cup Spanish peanuts
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup caramel sauce
1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons shortening (optional but recommended)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13x9-inch pan with foil; grease bottom and sides using preferred method.

In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together butter and sugar until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in flour, baking soda and salt, until combined. Beat in Fritos until combined. Spread and press cookie dough evenly into bottom of pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown around edges.

Remove pan from oven, evenly press pretzels and peanuts into cookie dough, and bake for 12 minutes; remove from oven.

Warm peanut butter in the microwave for 20-30 seconds or until pourable. Evenly drizzle peanut butter over pretzels, followed by caramel.

Melt the chocolate and shortening in the microwave, stirring often, for 30 seconds-1 minute, or until melted and smooth. Drizzle chocolate evenly over the top of peanut-butter caramel mixture and spread. Cool bars completely before lifting foil out of pan and slicing. (Freeze for easier slicing.)

Makes 32 bars