Crispy Peanut S'more Bars

What do you get when you cross a Rice Krispie square with a s'more (and some peanuts thrown in just because)? This delicious bar! 

Ingredients:

3 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 Tbsp. white sugar

3/4 cup (1 and 1/2 sticks) margarine or butter, melted

3 cups mini marshmallows

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

2/3 cup light corn syrup

3 Tbsp. margarine or butter

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup peanuts, finely chopped

3 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9x13" baking pan with aluminum foil so that it covers the bottom of the pan and overlaps two of the sides. Lightly spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray or grease with margarine/butter. 

In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and 3/4 cup melted margarine/butter. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside on a wire rack.

Layer one

Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Evenly sprinkle the marshmallows over the prepared graham cracker crust. Bake for about 7-8 minutes until the marshmallows are puffy. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.

Layer two

While the marshmallows are cooling, mix the Rice Krispies and chopped peanuts together in a large bowl. Combine the chocolate chips, corn syrup,  3 Tbsp. margarine/butter, and vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the chocolate has just melted - be careful not to burn the chocolate! Once melted, remove from the heat and stir into the peanuts and Rice Krispies. Mix gently with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until well combined. Spread this mixture evenly over the marshmallows.

Layer three

Cover and refrigerate for about an hour, or until firm. Once cooled, lift the bars from the pan using the aluminum foil as "handles." Cut into bars with a sharp knife. I cut 48 bars out of mine but you could get more or less depending on the size you want. I'd recommend doing 48 smaller bars because they are fairly sweet. Store bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

*Recipe by Brooke McMillan