Study Treats (a.k.a. No Bake Peanut Butter Bars)
Did you gain the freshman 15 in college? No worries if you didn’t - I gained it for all of us. At least three of us. Maybe four. I really loved everything I found in college and these study treats were a clear reason I gained more weight my freshman year than I even gained pregnant. Even making test batches all week have me desperate to find my will power - especially when I landed on THE recipe.
This is it! Were you a Gamma Phi in the late 1990’s in Seattle? Then you remember these bars. We stood out front of the dining room doors waiting for them to open so we could descend on the platter set out for us. I hadn’t thought of them in years except that a girlfriend’s daughter is going through rush this fall and I started dreaming about all of the things I ate in college. These are at the top of the list.
As you might imagine from a dessert bar from institutional cooking, these are crazy simple. The most time you’ll need is to let them cool before cutting. Most of the process happens on the stove, and then the bits are pushed into a brownie pan. Don’t be shy when you push. These bars sticking together is critical.
I did try to upgrade ingredients. I attempted to replace corn syrup with honey. Nope. I attempted a high quality peanut butter. Also, nope. The key here is inexpensive peanut butter, the creamiest one you can find, and regular old corn syrup.
Study Treats
(a.k.a. No Bake Peanut Butter Bars)
makes 16 squares
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup corn flakes
2 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup milk chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening
STEP 1
Line an 8x8 pan with foil and spray with oil. Set aside.
STEP 2
In a saucepan, melt together corn syrup, brown sugar and peanut butter until smooth. Stir regularly and remove from heat as soon as it’s smooth.
STEP 3
Stir in both cereals until completely coated. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan and push down well.
STEP 4
In a microwave proof bowl, melt together the chocolate and shortening. I put it in the microwave for one minute, then stir completely. Then another 30 seconds to make it totally smooth. Pour immediately on the cereal bars and smooth out over the top.
Chill for at least one hour before cutting.
