I found this no-bake recipe on Taste of Home. While it isn’t overly heart-healthy, when noshed on in moderation it isn’t terrible. It also stores for at least 10-days in an air-tight container.
The key is to first fully line a 13×9 inch pan with foil, allowing a good two inches of foil to fall over all the sides; the foil will act as handles to remove the bar from the pan.
Pour out 1 and ½ cups of pretzels and save for decorating the bars. Pulverize the rest of the pretzels in a food processor, blender, or under a rolling pin.
Mix 1 and ½ cups melted butter, 1 and ½ cups peanut butter, 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, and the pulverized pretzels. Smoosh the mixture in an even layer in the foil-lined pan.
Microwave two bags (4 cups) of chocolate chips with two tablespoons of shortening or butter. Stir every 15 seconds or so – you want it to be shiny and soft, and it will take a minute or less. The recipe called for half this amount, and it was barely enough to cover half the pan, so use the full four cups of chocolate. Spread the melted chocolate over the first pretzel layer, and cover that with the reserved pretzels, crumbled.
Refrigerate for an hour or so, remove from the pan, and slice it into bars (a little of this goes a long way, so smallish bars).
The crumbs at the bottom of bag/container are great for ice cream toppings. The crumbs are also good for pouring straight into your mouth from said bag/container. I wouldn’t know anything about the last bit but I assume it would be good. Honest.
@KeitelBlacksmith, you did what?
@KeitelBlacksmith, I’m not a heathen: I use a spoon.
Umm clearly @KeitelBlacksmith is trying to reduce dishes to conserve water usage. DUH.
Pretty sure I could eat the whole pan in a day.
Ya, what’s this “lasts for 10 days”?!?!
No bake? Not healthy? FINALLY A RECIPE FOR ME.
Taste of Home is great resource! I signed up so I get at least one email a day. I read their stuff recreationally but I don’t think I’ve ever made anything from them. I’m fascinated/obsessed, though. It’s user-generated, so I love reading the little blurbs, like Cindy Lou Who writing in from Whoville with a recipe for Memaw’s casserole. They love casseroles. And really everything, especially easy desserts, and the cookies, so many cookie recipes. They must have many thousands of recipes overall. It’s very accessible. Sometimes when I’m doing Kitchen Sweep I google and Taste of Home will come up. I always think, “I wouldn’t do exactly that…” but it’s a good jumping off point.
Full disclosure: It’s my own particular cooking style. “But surely at this point you’d add a splash or two of white wine” or “Rather than the salt, what if you just grated or minced some garlic…” I wonder if there’s a French or Italian version of Taste of Home.
I’d make this but don’t ask me to share it with anyone!
Not only is this no-bake, but it looks like you could basically get away with only using a microwave and a rolling pin–perfect as a fun, relatively no-fuss recipe for children.