Yummy Brownie Crunch Bars

This is the time of year when the ranch gets even more crazy. Still feeding cattle, burning pastures, giving calves shots, and moving them all from pasture to pasture keeps everyone everyone busy. For all of this I'm the support staff. My job is lunch, treats, and child care. Last weekend was a full one and these Brownie Marshmallow Crunch Bars were appreciated by all who passed through my kitchen.

I had tried several other recipes for the chocolate/marshmallow/crunch type of bar cookie in the past. Mostly with little success -  too gooey to cut, bottom too hard, various other problems. Yet, when these would show up at church coffee time I loved them. So I was glad to find this recipe that works well, I think the success is the marshmallow frosting!

BROWNIE MARSHMALLOW CRUNCH BARS

Ingredients:

1 (18.4 oz) package chocolate fudge brownie mix

⅔ cup vegetable oil

¼ cup water

2 eggs

1 (12 oz) container vanilla marshmallow fluffy frosting

1 cup peanut butter

1 tablespoon butter

1 ½ cups crisp rice cereal

Directions:

1.     Follow package directions and combine brownie mix with oil, water, and eggs. Bake in a 13” x 9” pan, as directed. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about an hour.

2.     Top brownie layer with the frosting, smoothing out evenly.

3.     For topping, combine the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a small saucepan. Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate chips have completely melted and mixture is well combined. Remove from the heat and quickly stir in crisp rice cereal. Immediately spoon the mixture over the top of the frosting layer and gently spread out evenly. Chill until set.

4.     Allow to set out for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Bars are delicious served cold or at room temperature.

brownies with the marshmallow frosting

wonderful gooey chocolate-peanut butter-crispy rice cereal

All together, ready to chill and enjoy

5.