Take 5 Bars

I like taking really good candy bars and transforming them into dessert form.  Maybe it started years ago when I had a Mounds bar frozen drink at Grandma's Restaurant in Duluth.  I still enjoy that occasionally.  I'm still grieving the loss of our Grandma's here in Fargo.  Good food.  Good times.  Back to the present...I had bought a bag of Take 5 candy bars to share for the office blues or stress relief. That got me thinking of ways to recreate it.  Although the candy bar doesn't really have a caramel layer,  mine do and it likes to ooze out.  I recommend storing them in the refrigerator.  I used a family hand me down pan that is 8 x 10.  If you use a 9 x 13, your bars will be thinner and I recommend an additional 2 Hershey's bars for the topping.

Take 5 Bars

Bottom layer ~

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups flour

Cream together butter, peanut butter and brown sugar.  Add in eggs and vanilla.  Fold in the dry ingredients and spread out in an greased baking pan.  Bake for 25 minutes for the 9 x 13 or 30 minutes for an 8 x 10 pan at 350°.  Allow to cool completely.  Break up 1 1/2 cups of pretzels and place on top of the bottom layer.  I broke them up in a plastic bag to contain the smallest pieces. 

Caramel layer ~

20 oz caramels
1/4 cup whipping cream

Mix in a small saucepan and stir over a low heat until the caramels are completely melted and mixed together with the cream.  Spread out over the pretzels.  Allow to cool completely.  Heat the oven again and spread out 4-6 Hershey's bars on top of the caramel mixture.  Return to the oven until it's just melted enough to spread out evenly.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes and then place in the refrigerator before cutting.