Gold Bars: a peanut butter blast from the past for some

My first official recipe post.  Welcome to my new food blog.  I'm no expert in the kitchen, but I've been eating food since I was a baby, so that should count for something.  What's that?  You have, too?  Perfect!  We'll get along just fine ;D  

My first post is for a super simple recipe that seems to have some nostalgic appeal for lots of folks who attended Albuquerque Public Schools in the 80's and 90's.  I didn't go to school here, so this Gold Bar phenomena was unfamiliar to me.  It began like this...one day I happened to catch a comment on my Facebook feed from one of my friends referencing something called a Gold Bar.  It immediately elicited numerous responses and practically lit up as people clamored to reminisce about their fond memories of this mythical confection.  What the heck was this Gold Bar and why were these folks so enamored with it?  I had to find out!  

Being close friends with the smartest person on earth, I asked my buddy Google to explain it to me.  Google responded with various links, but no recipes.  After much digging through deadend websites, I finally found myself in the middle of forum discussion that was at least 5 years old.  When I end up in places like this on the net, they usually resemble a Ghost Town with dirt devils and tumbleweeds blowing past due to inactivity, and I typically turn tail and leave, but something caused me to start reading this thread.  A few posts down, there it was...an actual recipe.  It only consisted of 6-ingredients, but they were good ones, and combined, would indeed result in something tasty.  I decided to make it for our upcoming Christmas party that Kirk and I host each year.  My Facebook friend who planted the seed for this quest was going to be in attendance, so I would know for sure if these were the right bars.

The only way these bars could have been easier to make is if Santa's Keebler Elves had dropped in and whipped them up while I was sleeping.  When I put them out at the party, they literally flew off the plate and friends who had grown up here in Albuquerque waxed nostalgic with stories of buying them from the lunch ladies who sold them in the cafeteria for fund raisers. They even received a big thumbs up from my FB friend, Tanya...(hey, grrl)!  Eureka!  They were immediately added to the recipe repertoire!  

Scroll through the pics and you'll find the recipe at the end.  Make them, I insist ;D  

Only 6 ingredients away from Nirvana...crunchy peanut butter, powdered sugar, Rice Krispies, light corn syrup, butter, and Hershey's chocolate bars.

Everybody (except the chocolate) into the pool!

Ouch!  Kitchen casualty!  You will be missed, special scraper paddle attachment :(  Please join hands and bow your heads for a moment of silence.

Into a lightly oiled pan lined with plastic wrap.

My ghetto double boiler.  Works like a charm!  Bowl should sit over simmering water, but should not actually touch the water.

Schrapnel from my afternoon snack!

Kidding!  Into the double boiler...yummm!

Nice and velvety!

A delectable topper to the peanut butter base.

Smooth and shiny.

Into the fridge for 30 mins, then pull it out.  The chocolate will begin to change from a shiny sheen to a dull matte finish.

Cut with a knife and then back into the fridge to finish it's transformation into Gold Bars.

Ahhhh!  Ready to be devoured!  Should we bother with a plate?

Okay...we'll use a plate ;D

Gold Bars -  printable recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups crunchy peanut butter

2 cups Rice Krispies

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

4 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

11 standard Hershey chocolate bars, melted

Directions:  Mix peanut butter, Rice Krispies, powdered sugar, butter, and light corn syrup until well blended.  Press mixture evenly into a 9 x 13 inch pan that has been lightly oiled and lined with plastic wrap.  Melt chocolate bars in a double boiler.  Spread evenly over the peanut butter mixture, chill until set but not hard.  Chocolate will begin to lose its shiny appearance.  Cut into pieces of desired size.  Return to refrigerator until chocolate has hardened completely.  Remove from the pan and store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.