Chocolate-Topped Peanut-Toffee Bars

Grand Prize-Winning Recipe 2007! Potato chips are the secret ingredient that keep sweet in balance with salty in a candy-like toffee bar.

Cookie Base
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® peanut butter cookie mix
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon water
1 egg
Filling
1 cup butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups lightly crushed potato chips
1 cup salted peanuts
Topping
1 bag (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)


1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, stir cookie base ingredients until soft dough forms. Press dough in bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes or just until dough is set.
3. Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar. Heat to boiling, stirring frequently. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.
4. Sprinkle potato chips and peanuts over partially baked base. Pour brown sugar mixture over chips and peanuts. Bake 15 minutes longer or until surface is bubbly.
5. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over chips and peanuts; return to oven for 2 minutes to soften chocolate. Spread chocolate over filling. Cool completely, about 2 hours. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until chocolate is set. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 4 rows. Store covered at room temperature.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): In step 2, bake 12 minutes. In step 5, return to oven for 3 minutes.

Source: Betty Crocker website