Hello cuties! How are you? The past week has been quite intense: from the library being short-staffed, to attending a meeting on the future of public libraries and then taking my cat to the vet for a dental operation, I was glad to get to Friday night for a quiet weekend recharging from all this! Being short-staffed means that I have to cover the main desk, which translates in me doing a double job of my research and serving at the desk. The event was organised by our professional body and was more of a brainstorming session on how to be prepared in future adversities for the public library service – interesting, but also frustrating as I believe all those working in this sector have seen having its budget reduced year after year, so it’s not like we are detached by the events. At her yearly vaccination, my cat was found to have a lot of tartar on her teeth. They can only clean cats’ teeth by having them anesthetised – I had to leave her for a whole day at the vets. It was the first time we were separated that way and while I am painfully aware that there are other and more difficult situations in the world, it was horrible having to leave her by herself. She was totally fine when I took her back, and she slept a bit in my bed that night and the following one.

All this to say, that I needed something good and sweet to get me through the week and these Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Bars by VeganHuggs were just perfect!

Ingredients

• 3 cups rice crispies cereal
• ½ cup brown rice syrup
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• ¾ cup creamy peanut butter (low sodium if preferred)
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Top Layer

• ¾ cup mini chocolate chips + more for optional topping
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter (low sodium if preferred)
• Chopped Peanuts (optional)

Instructions

1. Line an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Pour rice cereal into a large bowl and set aside. 
3. Combine the brown rice syrup and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring well. It will be thick like paste, but turns to liquid as it warms. Cook until bubbly, about 2-3 minutes, stirring often with a spatula, then remove from heat. Immediately add ¾ cup peanut butter, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract. Stir until well combined.
4. Pour the mixture over the rice cereal and gently fold together using a spatula until it’s well-coated. The mixture will be thick and may seem like it won’t cover the cereal, but keep stirring, it will be enough. 
5. Transfer the cereal mixture to your prepared pan. Press it down firmly into an even layer using a spatula.
6. Add the chocolate chips and ½ cup of peanut butter to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on 50% power in 30-second increments until melted and smooth. Stir each time.
7. Pour it over the cereal mixture and spread it into an even layer. Tap the pan a few times to even out the chocolate coating. Sprinkle with peanuts and chocolate chips to decorate if preferred. Place the pan in the refrigerator to cool for 30-60 minutes until the chocolate is set.
8. To cut, pull up each side of the parchment paper and place on a cutting board. Cut into squares. Store in an airtight container at room temp for 5-7 days. You can also freeze them for 2-3 months. 

Enjoy!

Love,

TVCL xx