Hi Everyone! In my last post I talked about the Goode Family Reunion and some of the very special recipes that make that day memorable for all of us that attend. Some are must-haves and many of those were introduced to us by the elder members of the family. The picture below shows my Grandma and Grandpa Goode and their 10 children taken many years ago at Union Hall.
Sadly, eventually, those loved ones pass on or become incapable of attending. We still share memories of those people and, happily, some of the recipes that are associated with them are carried on by younger family members. My mom can no longer attend the reunions but, to me, it always feels like I should still see her standing in that big kitchen at Union Hall, unpacking the picnic basket and laughing with my aunts and cousins.
Mom would always bring her signature Special K Bars. I have a handwritten copy of this recipe and it states that she got the recipe from Barb Young (a very dear friend of hers) and that they were very good (total understatement, if you ask me). The recipe is titled K-Peanut Bars, but I never, ever heard her refer to them by any name other than Special K Bars. She also always doubled the recipe and put it in a 9 X 13-inch glass baking dish. I am going to give you the measurements for the doubled recipe but feel free to halve it if you don’t want to make as many. BUT, I think that you will want the larger pan once you have tasted them. They are incredibly addicting. The Special K cereal and peanut butter help me to justify the calories. I mean, they must be healthy with those ingredients, right?
Now, I am not the family member who has been honored with keeping this tradition. My beautiful and wonderful niece, Elizabeth, has been given this task. She made them once after my mom could no longer get the recipe correct and she did such a fantastic job that she gets to make them every year. I don’t think that she minds too much.
This dish is super easy to make and is pretty quick if you don’t count the time that the bars take to set up. Depending on the weather it may take a while for the chocolate mixture on the top to get solid. There are only a few ingredients and you may already have them in your kitchen. The bars are great for dessert but superb for a snack or a potluck dish. I took some of the bars that I made for this post to work and they didn’t last any time at all. These bars are everything wonderful. The bottom layer of the Special K Bars is peanut buttery and chewy with a little bit of crunch. The top layer is smooth, sweet and chocolatey deliciousness. The combination is truly heaven. My mom knew a good chocolate recipe and this one does not disappoint. Every time I have one (or even just smell them) I think of her. I think that she would be happy that one of her favorites is also a favorite of so many family members.
There is no baking involved with these bars. Just some stove top and microwave work to do. You should butter a 9 X 13 dish very well. I used a glass dish, but you can use metal as well. I have never used parchment paper to line the dish but I’m sure that it would work. Then, you could just lift the whole thing out of the pan and cut them more easily.
Anyway, you will need some original Special K cereal, white corn syrup, white sugar, creamy peanut butter, chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. That’s it! Oh yeah, and some butter or spray to coat the pan or dish.
Begin by combining the white syrup and sugar in a large saucepan or heavy stock pot. Bring this to a boil over medium or medium-low heat, stirring constantly. As soon as the mixture has reached a full boil (large bubbles all over the surface) remove it from the heat. You don’t want to cook this longer because it will cause the bottom layer to be too crunchy and dry. If you don’t let it come to a boil the mixture will be too soft and not hold together when cut. Don’t worry though. It isn’t all that complicated. Just keep stirring and as soon as you see bubbles all over the surface turn off the heat and move the pan to a hot pad.
Add the peanut butter and stir until everything is nice and smooth and combined. By the way, if you don’t have one of these handy-dandy adjustable measuring cups, get one. They are great for measuring peanut butter and corn syrup. If you spray the inside of the cup with a bit of cooking spray then your sticky ingredients slide right out. It is a kitchen must-have.
Add the Special K cereal and stir well so that all of the cereal is coated.
Pour the mixture into the buttered dish. Be careful! It is hot, and the mixture will stick to you if you let it get on your skin. I always end up with it on the counter and the pot holders. I am pretty messy sometimes. The upside is that you get to eat whatever doesn’t hit the dish. There are no calories in crumbs, drips and spills. Trust me, I know this for a fact. Press down on the mixture a bit with your hands or spatula to create a nice even and compact base layer. Set this aside while you prepare the topping.
Combine the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in a glass bowl.
Microwave on 50% for about 3 minutes or until everything is melted and smooth. Stir every 30 seconds or so. If you don’t have a microwave that has power adjustment just stir every 30 seconds and watch closely so that the chocolate does not burn.
Pour this mixture over the peanut butter/cereal layer and smooth out as best you can. I like to make little curly-q designs in mine, but it isn’t necessary.
Let the topping solidify. I normally put my bars in the refrigerator for about an hour until everything is nice and firm.
Cut the bars into whatever size your heart desires and serve. I am telling you, you have to try these. They are so very good. My mom would never steer you wrong when it comes to a chocolate dessert.
World's Best Special K Bars
These bars are everything wonderful. The bottom layer of the Special K Bars is peanut buttery and chewy with a little bit of crunch. The top layer is smooth, sweet and chocolatey deliciousness. The combination is truly heaven.
Ingredients
- 1 cup white syrup
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 6 cups Special K cereal
- 1 12 oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 11 oz. package butterscotch chips
- butter to grease pan
Directions
- Step 1 Butter a 9 X 13 dish very well.
- Step 2 Combine the white syrup and sugar in a large saucepan or heavy stock pot. Bring this to a boil over medium or medium-low heat, stirring constantly. As soon as the mixture has reached a full boil (large bubbles all over the surface) remove it from the heat.
- Step 3 Add the peanut butter and stir until everything is nice and smooth and combined.
- Step 4 Add the Special K cereal and stir well so that all of the cereal is coated.
- Step 5 Pour the mixture into the buttered dish. Press down on the mixture a bit to get a nice even and compact layer. Set aside.
- Step 6 Combine the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in a glass bowl. Microwave on 50% for about 3 minutes or until everything is melted and smooth. Stir every 30 seconds or so.
- Step 7 Pour the chocolate mixture over the peanut butter/cereal layer and smooth out as best you can.
- Step 8 Refrigerate for about an hour until everything is nice and firm. Cut into bars and serve.
