Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Pretzel Bars

We recently returned from Alsace, our favorite area in France that we’re willing to return to more and more and maybe even take you with us one day. When traveling to Alsace it’s difficult to ignore the German influences that characterize this part of the country which is right next to the border with Germany.

In the culinary world, for example, you can find in Alsace the Kugelhopf and the Pretzel which are part of the German cuisine. Everywhere you go in Alsace you will find the Kugelhopf and the Pretzel, some better, some less. We recommend those of Christine Ferber, they’re simply the best we’ve tasted.

At one of the cafes we visited in Strasbourg we tasted, alongside the good coffee, a great snack that I decided to try to recreate. It’s a kind of dessert that contains peanut butter, pretzel and a generous layer of chocolate. This snack is far from being a classic French dessert, but the use of pretzels is great and very unique for this region.

As you already know I don’t like peanut butter so much, but recently I started to use it more when I first made the Buckeye Cookies. In the current recipe the peanut butter blends wonderfully with the pretzel and chocolate and together they create a wonderful delicacy.

It’s a very simple recipe, without baking, which can also be prepared as gluten free by using a suitable pretzel. The problem with this snack is that you can’t stop eating it 🙂

Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Pretzel Bars
square cake pan 23cm

Ingredients
Peanut Butter and Pretzel Layer:
170g butter, melted
250g peanut butter
180g confectioner’s sugar, sifted
200g pretzels, crushed

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Ganache:
300g dark chocolate 70%, chopped (or half milk chocolate and half dark chocolate)
60g peanut butter

Preparation
1. Line a 23cm square pan with parchment paper.
2. Peanut butter and Pretzel layer: In a big bowl mix together melted butter, peanut butter and confectioner’s sugar. Add crushed pretzels and mix till combined.
3. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan to form an even layer.
4. Chocolate and Peanut Butter Ganache: Melt chocolate in a double boiler or the microwave. Add peanut butter and using a spatula stir slowly and carefully until you have a glossy ganache with no air bubbles. Pour the ganache on the peanut butter and pretzel layer.
5. Refrigerate for 5 hours, cut into cubes and enjoy.

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Bon-Appétit
Sharon