Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars
Ingredients:
- chocolate chips, milk, semi sweet OR dark - 1 1/4 cup
- creamy peanut butter - 1/4 cup
- butter - 1/4 cup
- sugar - 1/2 cup
- milk OR canned coconut milk - 1/4 cup
- marshmallow creme - 1 1/2 cup
- salted peanuts, roughly chopped - 1 cup
- vanilla extract - 1 t
- caramels - 14 ounce bag
- cream OR canned coconut milk - 1/4 cup
- butter - 3/4 cup
- brown sugar - 2/3 cup
- heavy cream OR canned coconut milk - 2 T
- vanilla - 1 1/2 t
- flour - 1 cup
- salt - 1/4 t
- mini chocolate chips - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
- chocolate chips, milk, semi sweet OR dark - 1 1/2 cup
- creamy peanut butter - 1/4 cup
- pretzels, twists OR sticks - 1 cup
- chocolate chips, melted - 1/2 cup
Instructions:
Prepare bottom layer -- melt together 1 1/4 c chocolate chips and 1/4 c peanut butter, stir until smooth. Spread evenly in a greased 13 x 9 inch pan. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Prepare nougat layer -- in a saucepan over medium heat melt 1/4 c butter. Add 1/2 c sugar and 1/4 c milk, stir until dissolved, bring to a boil. Let cook for 5 minutes, stir occasionally. Add marshmallow creme and vanilla, stir until smooth. Remove from heat, fold in peanuts, pour over chocolate layer. Place in refrigerator for 15 - 30 minutes until completely cooled.
Prepare caramel layer -- in a saucepan over low heat melt together caramels and 1/4 c cream, stir occasionally, until smooth. Pour over nougat layer and cool completely.
Prepare cookie dough -- in a sauce pan over medium heat melt 3/4 c butter until just browned. Butter will melt, foam, and froth, then begin to brown along the bottom. Whisk browned bits from the bottom of the pan and pour into a bowl, cool 10 minutes. (OR in place of browning butter just use room temperature butter.) Add brown sugar, 2 T cream and 1 1/2 t vanilla. Beat until combined, fluffy and light colored. Beat in flour and salt, stir in mini chocolate chips. Evenly and gently spread cookie dough over caramel layer, (DO NOT press too hard into the caramel, you don't want to mix the two layers.)
Top layer -- melt together 1 1/2 c chocolate chips and 1/4 c peanut butter, evenly spread over caramel. Sprinkle pretzels over chocolate. Melt 1/2 c chocolate chips, drizzle over pretzels. Place in refrigerator for 1 hour before serving. Best stored covered in refrigerator, remove 15 minutes before serving. Bars will get soft if kept at room temperature.
