CANDY-CRUNCH PEANUT BUTTER BARS

prep 30 minutes chill 1 hour

•  30 peanut butter sandwich cookies with peanut butter filling
•   ¼ tsp. salt
•   ½ cup butter, melted
•    2 cups powdered sugar
• 1⅓ cups creamy peanut butter
•   ½ cup butter, softened
•    2 Tbsp. heavy cream
•   ½ cup finely crushed peanuts with crunchy sugar coating (French burnt peanuts) or other candy-coated peanuts
•    1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
•   ½ cup creamy peanut butter

1. Line a 13×9-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. For crust, in a food processor combine cookies and salt. Cover and process until finely ground. Add the melted butter. Cover and pulse just until combined. Press mixture into the prepared baking pan.

2. In a large bowl beat powdered sugar, the 1⅓ cups peanut butter, the softened butter, and cream on low to medium until smooth. Stir in peanuts. Carefully spread mixture over crust.

3. In a small heavy saucepan heat and stir chocolate pieces and the ½ cup peanut butter over low heat until melted. Spread mixture over layers in pan. Sprinkle with additional crushed peanuts.

4. Cover and chill about 1 hour or until set. Use foil to lift uncut bars out of pan; cut into bars.

number of servings 48

per bar 182 cal., 12 g fat (5 g sat. fat), 11 mg chol., 127 mg sodium, 17 g carb., 1 g fiber, 11 g sugars, 4 g pro.

MAKE AHEAD

Layer bars between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator up to 1 week.