Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars

 This week, Wednesday night is girl's night with Nicole and Jen. We're going to Nicole's place to make dinner and watch Hellcats or some other ridiculously girly show (that I love). Since Nicole put in a request for something with peanut butter, I thought I would contribute some dessert to our get together. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars

If you love Reese's peanut butter trees, eggs, etc. (the big ones they have during the holidays) and the salty sweet contrast of chocolate covered pretzels, you'll die eating these. The full recipe and verdict  is at the bottom of this post, but read on to see the step-by-step process. Just try not to think about the butter that's in here... that's why it makes more than 16 servings of this rich deliciousness.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. I decided to use pretzel waffles instead of sticks, because I thought they would be prettier at the end for garnishing. Take 2 cups of pretzel waffles into food processor and do 15-20 long pulses until they are coarsely chopped.  There will be fine pretzel in there as well. Just make sure there are a good amount of coarse pieces.

The original recipe called for regular salt, but I figured why not just use the salt from the bag?

 Add the brown sugar, pretzel salt, and evenly distribute the butter in the processor. Process with long pulses until the butter has been incorporated and mixture begins to form lumps. Don't just leave the food processor on because the butter chunks won't go down to the bottom near the blade. I had to pulse to get them to fall to the bottom.

Pour mixture into a glass or ceramic 8" x 8 " baking pan. Using something spatula-like (I used a gelato scoop... the kind that they use at Cold Stone Creamery to make your custom crush-ins... I've seen people make crusts with the bottom of measuring cups too), press the mixture firmly into the pan, forming a level, compact layer. Bake crust at 350 for about 20 minutes or until you can smell the sugary aroma. Remove and place on a cooling rack for 30 minutes.

Take 1 cup pretzel waffles and place into food processor on high for 1-2 minutes, or until you no longer hear any grinding, indicating you have a nice, fine crumb.

Combine fine pretzel crumbs, confectioners sugar (No, Archel, that white, powdery substance is not crack, even though you think I put it in my cookies), melted butter and peanut butter in a mixing bowl. Mix all ingredients together until fully incorporated. Set aside.

Once the pretzel crust has cooled, make the chocolate topping.
Put 8 oz. chocolate chips into a mixing bowl.

Pour 1/2 cup heavy cream into a small saucepan over medium-high heat, watching it closely and stirring occasionally.  Once bubbles begin to form at the edge, you are at the scald and
should take it off heat.  This will be very quick.

Pour cream over chocolate chips. Whisk until all chocolate has been melted
and mixture is shiny and smooth. What you are actually making here is a chocolate ganache.  In the future, if you want to make a chocolate dipping sauce, just add more cream to keep it liquidy... or take some away to make it more pliable.  Also, I've made ganache with light cream or half and half... just no skim milk! You need some fat to help incorporate the chocolate.

Spread the peanut butter mixture evenly over the crust, first very gently with your fingers to avoid breaking the crust. Then press a little more firmly with a spatula (or gelato scoop!) to make it smooth and even.

Pour the ganache over the peanut butter.
Use a spatula to spread so that all areas are evenly covered with chocolate. 

Evenly place pretzel waffles and gently press them into the chocolate layer at a 45 degree angle to garnish. I also sprinkled the little bit of leftover pretzel salt on top, because I'm one of those freaks that likes to eat salt from the bottom of an empty pretzel bag.

Chill pan for at least 1 hour, or until the chocolate has set before cutting into bars into small squares.

Verdict:  The bars are delicious, but once I started cutting the bars into squares, the crust would not stay attached to the bottom.  Maybe next time the bottom needs more butter/less crumbs.  Or I'll try putting a layer of chocolate under the pb as well.  OR... instead of making a crust, I'll just crumble the crust mixture on top, like a streusel topping. Also, they are REALLY thick, so I'll either lessen the ingredients for the PB and chocolate, or use a larger pan.
What do you suggest?

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars

For the Pretzel Crust:
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups coarse pretzel crumbs (I used 2 cups of whole pretzel 'waffles')
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon pretzel salt (from the bottom of the bag)

For the Filling:
12 oz creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted
1 cup fine pretzel crumbs (I used 1 cup of whole pretzel 'waffles')

For the top layer (Chocolate ganache)
8oz semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream (or half&half or light cream... no skim milk!)
16 pretzel 'waffles' (or whatever other type of pretzel to use for garnish)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Put 2 cups of pretzel waffles into food processor and do 15-20 long pulses until they are coarsely chopped.  There will be fine pretzel in there as well. Just make sure there are a good amount of coarse pieces.
3. Add the brown sugar, pretzel salt, and evenly distribute the butter in the processor. Process with long pulses until the butter has been incorporated and mixture begins to form lumps.
4. Pour mixture into a glass or ceramic 8" x 8 " baking pan. Using the bottom side of a metal spatula, measuring cup, or your hands, press the mixture firmly into the pan, forming a level, compact layer.
5. Bake crust at 350 for about 20 minutes or until you can smell the sugary aroma. Remove and place on a cooling rack for 30 minutes.
6. Take 1 cup pretzel waffles and place into food processor. Put food processor on high for 1-2 minutes, or until you no longer hear any grinding, indicating you have a nice, fine crumb.
7. Combine fine pretzel crumbs, confectioners sugar, melted butter and peanut butter in a mixing bowl. Mix all ingredients together until fully incorporated. Set aside.
8. Once the pretzel crust has cooled, make the chocolate ganache topping.
9. Put 8 oz. chocolate chips into a mixing bowl.
10. Pour 1/2 cup heavy cream into a small saucepan over medium-high heat, watching it closely and stirring occasionally.  Once bubbles begin to form at the edge, you are at the scald and should take it off heat.  This will be very quick.
11. Pour cream over chocolate chips. Whisk until all chocolate has been melted and mixture is shiny and smooth.
12. Spread the peanut butter mixture evenly over the crust, first very gently with your fingers to avoid breaking the crust. Then press a little more firmly with a spatula to make it smooth and even.
13. Pour the ganache over the peanut butter. Use a spatula to spread so that all areas are evenly covered with chocolate. Evenly place pretzel waffles and gently press them into the chocolate layer at a 45 degree angle to garnish.
14. Chill pan for at least 1 hour, or until the chocolate has set before cutting into bars into small squares.