Chocolate Peanut Butter Chewy Swirl Bars

These are a perfect bar recipe to me. So delicious, soft, yet chewy, chocolate and peanut buttery, and then a layer smothered in chocolate with more peanut butter swirled in. There's no butter or flour which I love you use the Rice Krispie cereal to hold the bars together.  They are no bake and made in the microwave. This is a perfect  quick and easy dessert. This recipe looks like you have been in the kitchen all day making these yet they are so simple around 6 ingredients. These are those bars that look to impress and the best part of it, they are amazing I have made them so many times since I found recipe. One of my top favorites.

Ingredients:

For The Bars:

1 heaping cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups Rice Krispies cereal


For The Chocolate Topping:

1 1/2 heaping cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, optional but highly recommended to keep chocolate smooth
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, melted

Directions:

1. For the Bars - Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil leaving overhang, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine 1 heaping cup peanut butter, corn syrup, sugars, and heat on high power in the microwave for 1 minute to melt.
3. Take out and stir mixture. It  will be on the grainy side, which is normal. 
4. Place bowl back in  microwave and heat for 1 more minute on high power.
5. Take out of microwave and stir in the vanilla.
6. Then fold in the cereal.
7. Pour mixture out into prepared pan, packing it down kinda firmly with a spatula and smoothing the top then set pan aside.
8. For the Chocolate Topping - In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, shortening, and heat on high power for 1 minute to melt. The shortening keeps chocolate smooth
9. Stop to stir. Chips may not be completely melted. Return bowl to microwave and heat in 10 to 15-second intervals until chocolate is completely smooth.
10. Pour chocolate over bars, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula and set pan aside.
11. Add 1/4 cup peanut butter to a small microwave-safe bowl and heat to melt, about 30 seconds. Stir peanut butter smooth.
12. To create the marbled pattern, drizzle peanut butter over the chocolate in 5 wide, evenly spaced, parallel lines, each spanning the width of the pan. Making 5 rows.
13. Rotate pan 90-degrees. With a toothpick, starting at the top of the pan, make 5 evenly spaced lines through the peanut butter. In essence you're dragging the toothpick perpendicularly through the first set of lines to create the marbling.
14. Cover pan with a sheet of foil,  and place pan in fridge to set up for at least 2 to 3 hours, or overnight, or until chocolate layer is completely set before lifting out with foil, then slice.

recipe and photo source:http://www.averiecooks.com/2013/06/chewy-peanut-butter-and-chocolate-cereal-bars.html