Today I've got a treat for you! (Pun intended) On Monday we had a church BBQ and we were asked to bring desserts. Well, I didn't have much time to make something by the time I finished that day's extracurricular activities, so i quickly threw together one of my family's favorite Christmas treats. You'll probably wonder why it's Christmas related and honestly so do I, but we've made them every year for as long as I can remember.
When in doubt, and in a college dorm room, you can always make some Reese's Bars. They're completely and utterly amazing!!! I do sometimes make them throughout the year, but they always get made around Christmas. They freeze well (or if you're from the north they can sit outside in a cooler until spring and still be good). But beware: They are extremely addicting!!! If you love a peanut butter & chocolate mix, they do not disappoint. In fact they taste just like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. It makes a 9x13 pan full so you'd better invite some friends to help eat them. That is unless you have far better restraint than me and can eat them over a long period of time. I have to eat them right away, so instead I force them on my friends! I still get plenty, just not the whole pan. So here goes:
Reese's Bars
1 Stick margarine, softened
2 c. Peanut Butter
1 c. Brown Sugar
1 lbs. Powdered Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
12 oz. Semi-sweet or Milk Chocolate Chips
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| At this point it's time to use your hands |
First, soften margarine. Then mix Margarine, Peanut Butter, Sugars and Vanilla together until well blended.
To make this well blended you're going to have to use your hands! This is perfect for young kids who are old enough to handle it. It lets them get messy for a reason!
Once the Peanut Butter mixture is fully blended, it's time to put it into the 9x13 pan. You can use a smaller pan if you want, but it's going to make the Peanut Butter thicker so you'll want to cut them into smaller pieces as this is really rich. Make sure it is patted down as flat as you can get it, and make sure it goes to the edges. There's no need to grease the pan as the oil from the Peanut Butter works fine to do this.
Next is the fun part! Okay, really it's all fun, but now you get to melt the chocolate! In a microwave save bowl, melt the chocolate chips. I tend to use Milk Chocolate. I think one of my sisters uses Semi-sweet. It's totally up to you. One day I want to try white chocolate. Once the chips are all melted, pour the chocolate over the Peanut Butter and spread evenly. Then stick it in the fridge (or freezer if you're short on time like I was Monday).
Usually what we have done in the past is to let the chocolate harden completely and then we have to wait for it to warm a little before we cut the bars or else the chocolate will crack and sometimes the chocolate will separate from the Peanut Butter. This time I let the chocolate cool until it was stiff but not quite solid and cut them. They turned out great! I was so happy about that.
And there you have it. We are done!
As I mentioned in the recipe directions, this is a really good project to have kids help with. I'm sure they wouldn't mind getting their hands dirty! It's also an easy recipe for college kids to make as long as they have a microwave available or any other way to melt the chips. My sisters and I made them in our dorm room several times around Christmas (and of course we had to make them a lot because they disappeared so quickly!).
I hope you enjoy them!
Merry Christmas!!!
