Caramel Crunch Bars

I wasn't originally going to post this recipe because after eating them the first night, I was a bit underwhelmed. Not that they weren't good. They were good and my kids loved them, but they were just "good," not "awesome."

But today, as I polished off my third piece in as little as 20 minutes, I realized I was not giving them enough credit. Turns out they get much better after chilling in the fridge for a long time and they are seriously addictive (as I munch on my 4th one...)

Add their addictive nature to the fact that they're easy, cheap, and fast to whip up, and you have a winner after all. These were especially nice in that Gavin and Caden could help me make them. Next time you need something quick and easy for a potluck, try these. Just be careful, because you won't be able to stop after just one...

I found the recipe here, but it's originally a Paula Deen recipe, entitled "Home-made Kit Kat bars." They taste absolutely nothing like a kit kat bar, though, so I'm sticking with the title from My Kitchen Cafe. Also, I'm not usually a fan of butterscotch and rarely have butterscotch chips on hand. Although it didn't actually bother me in this recipe, I think I may try the recipe, replacing the butterscotch morsels with semi-sweet next time, just to see how it tastes. But these bars are fabulous as is, too.

Makes a 9x13 pan
Recipe from Mykitchencafe.blogspot.com

Bars:
About 80 Club crackers
1 cup butter
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar

Topping:
2/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butterscotch morsels

1. Line an ungreased 9x13 pan with foil, leaving some foil sticking out the ends. Place 1 layer of club crackers along the bottom of your pan, cutting to fit if necessary, so that the entire bottom is covered. (This is where Gavin and Caden were my helpers... they were great at laying out the crackers!)

2. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter. Once it's melted, add graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, white sugar, and milk, stirring to combine. Stirring constantly, bring mixture to a boil, and boil for five minutes. (Begin timing once first bubbles form.)

3. Remove butter mixture from heat and layer 1/2 of the mixture over your crackers, spreading evenly. Top that with another layer of club crackers and spread your remaining butter mixture over that. Top with one more layer of club crackers.

4. In a microwave safe bowl, combine the peanut butter, chocolate and butterscotch morsels. Microwave 20-30 seconds at a time, until the morsels are completely melted. Spread this chocolate mixture evenly over your remaining layer of club crackers. Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour. The longer they chill, the better they are, in my opinion.