Chewy Salted Peanut Bars

 

Years ago, my parents had a large house at the lake. I used to love going there when we had it packed with company. The house had five bedrooms, so it could hold a lot of people. My cousin, only a year older than me, was one of my favorite people to have at the lake. She was a night owl like I was, and after everyone had gone to sleep, we would get up and raid the cookie jar. One night after we consumed a good amount of oatmeal raisin cookies, she went back to get some potato chips. I asked her why she got those and she said, “Sweet calls for salty, salty calls for sweet.”  She wasn’t wrong. How many times have you had a sweet snack, and then needed a touch of salty thereafter? Conversely, how many times have you had something salty, and then longed for something sweet? This is the best of both worlds. They are easy to make, reminiscent of Payday bars, and can be quite addicting. 

They’re the perfect combination of salty and sweet.

Chewy Salted Peanut Bars

1½ c. flour

¾ c. packed brown sugar

½ c. cold butter, cubed

2 c. salted dry roasted peanuts

1 c. butterscotch chips

½ c. light corn syrup

2 T. butter

 Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9” x 13” baking pan with foil, letting ends extend up and over the sides to facilitate lifting; spray foil with PAM.

Place flour, brown sugar, and butter into the work bowl of a food processor; pulse until crumbly. Empty into prepared pan, patting down. Bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle peanuts over crust.

While crust is baking, place a small saucepan over medium heat and melt butterscotch chips, corn syrup, and butter; stirring occasionally. Bring mixture to a high simmer/low boil*, remove from heat, and immediately drizzle over peanuts. Bake until bubbly, 6-8 minutes longer.

 

 Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Lifting with foil, remove from pan. Cut into bars.

 *The mixture should be simmering and puffing up all around the perimeter of the pan, wanting to work its way into the center. That’s when you want to remove it from the heat.

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