Vegetarian Family

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Monday, April 03, 2006

Peanut "Better" Bars

We had a major sweet-tooth this weekend, so I found this recipe at Vegan Outreach, which was definitely a solution to our situation. These are delicious, easy to make, and you don't need a ton of ingredients on hand - but beware, they are nearly irresistible and it makes a large pan. Next time, I'll make these for a party or when there are more people on hand to help dispose of them!


Ingredients:
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup sliced almonds (toast them in the oven @ 325* for about 10 minutes -- next time, I'll tuck the almonds under the chocolate layer so they won't fall off)
6 cups corn flakes
1 8oz. bag dark chocolate chips

Process:
Lightly oil an 8x10 inch cake pan. Place the corn flakes in the pan.

Mix the corn syrup & sugar in a sauce pan, and bring to a light boil. Remove from the heat, add the peanut butter, and mix until smooth. Pour the mixture over the corn flakes, and combine.

In a saucepan, melt the chocolate chips and pour over the top of cereal mixture, press sliced almonds on top. Place in the refrigerator overnight and let harden. The next day, cut and serve.

16 Comments:

Blogger jess (of Get Sconed!) said...

yum!!!!!! Almonds and peanut butter - great combo.

8:49 AM  
Blogger Eat Peace Please said...

This looks wonderful! Have you tried substituting corn syrup with a healthier/tastier brown rice syrup? It's worth a try (I use it with almost everything, you can take a look...). I like your page (if I haven't said that already).

9:06 AM  
Blogger Harmonia said...

Ah! Lovely! PS: I hope to post a more user-friendly MWM Code later today or tomorrow! YAY!

9:20 AM  
Blogger Vicki's Vegan Vice said...

Hi Jess: I could Get Sconed and devour your entire candybar cake! LOL!! (If you haven't seen the cake yet, go to her blog & drool!)

Hi Harmonia: I'll give the code a try. I have some recipes that are on deck.

Hi EatPeacePlease: healthier & tastier?! Sold. I'll be doing that next time. Anything to help me feel a little bit better about eating these bars. (typing as I reach for my exercise shoes) A tip & compliment from one of my favorite bloggers is soo nice. Thanks. :o) As I mentioned in your blog, what I really wanted to make was your TREATS...I'm OK with grabbing & throwing unmeasured dry ingredients in, but am not confident enough to eye the wet. Can you give me a wet ingredient quantity to get me started?
*Peace Out*

10:50 AM  
Blogger Eat Peace Please said...

I am going to have a hard time measuring the wet for you. It all really depends on how much dry you have. I tend to make large batches (about a standard-pale/bucket-sized bowl (not entirely filled, but a lot). Sometimes I have found that the mix is too dry and I have to quickly add together all the wet ingredients again and mix it up. It's really important to have a good "stickiness".

For a large bag/box of rice puffs, plus a bunch of good stuff like dried fruit, seeds and nuts, I would add the following in a small pot and heat on low for about 10 minutes.
1c nut butter (I like to mix peanut and almond)
1/2 c to 1c brown rice syrup (stir it in with the nut butter and see how gooy it gets.
about 1/4c or 2/3c agave nectar
splash or 1 teaspoon vanilla (don't over do it, it can be alcohol-y and gross)

I really hope these "measurements" work. I'm not quite sure, you have to eye-it, especially depending on your dry mix. Feel free to always add a bit more melted down brown rice syrup and just add that, sometimes the nut butter isn't the issue.
This is long, but let me know if you need more help.

Thank you so much for your super-nice comments to me on my blog as well as your own. And I like what you said to Jess, funny (about getting sconed and eating the big-ass cake!)

6:57 PM  
Blogger Vicki's Vegan Vice said...

Ok, Leslie, I'm excited all over again to make your PowerHouse Treats (If you haven't seen her treats, run to EatPeace & you'll want to make them also...trust me) I'm going to add the ingredients to my Midweek shopping list & just do it! Thank you for taking the time to give advice & encouragement -- you are so sweet & this bloggin' exchange is awesome. I can't wait to make a healthier granola snack for my girls...one where I know what's inside! (As Leslie might say....without all the CRAP!) LOL!!! *PeaceOut*

7:17 AM  
Blogger Eat Peace Please said...

Thanks Vicki. You're funny.

I hope you take a photo and let me (and us all) know how they were. I tend to make better stuff non-measuring... just go with your gut and what looks good.

7:34 AM  
Blogger jess (of Get Sconed!) said...

Vicki - thank you, I just had a good laugh at work!

11:24 AM  
Blogger jess (of Get Sconed!) said...

My blog name started as a a joke suggested by my boyfriend, and it's stuck. ; )
I really want to use it as a name of a homemade baked goods operation one day, but I think the straight edge vegans out there might not like go for it.

11:26 AM  
Blogger Harmonia said...

Thanks for the comments and recipe! However, I am ovenless right now. Ours died! I will have to put that one on the "back burner" so to speak.

LOL

Thanks again though

11:36 AM  
Blogger Virginie said...

It's the first time I come here, and I like this place, with all the pensies flowers.
I note this recipe. Very useful as a snack and suitable for a dessert. And with peanut butter, that looks marvellous. I 'll try Leslie's one as I prefer too puffed rice rather corn flakes and rice syrup (we don't find corn syrup in France - it's a very US product !). See you.

12:48 AM  
Blogger Vicki's Vegan Vice said...

Hi EatPeace: I'll certainly take a photo...my gut usually says "More Chocolate!"

Hi Jess: I love your handle...& I get a little chuckle each time I visit your blog cuz of the name. I think the play on words is clever & light-hearted.

Hi Virginie: So glad to see you -- I'm giving Leslie's treats a try this week...It's probably for the best that you can't find Corn Syrup there -- I'm going to use mine up & switch to the rice syrup. Will you post a picture of Leslie's treats? We could all have a "Leslie Treat Festival"!!

8:37 AM  
Blogger Eat Peace Please said...

Everything here is corn:
Corn, cornmeal, corn flour, corn syrup, corn product, modified corn starch, regular corn starch, corn everything, it's crazy! I just hate that there's corn syrup in so many products.

I like corn on the cobb though, and in veggie posole.

9:09 AM  
Blogger jess (of Get Sconed!) said...

thank Viciki, I appreciate it.

9:35 AM  
Blogger Vicki's Vegan Vice said...

The thing I find nearly impossible to avoid is High Fructose Corn Syrup!

12:34 PM  
Blogger turquoise cro said...

All these morsels and treats sound yummy! I've got to make me a list! Wooo Hooo!

6:56 AM  

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