Sweet and salty is here to stay. Everyone has heard of the 7 layer or “magic bars”, right?  In a way, these remind me of those bars, but they are a bit more modern for today’s taste with the use of caramel and I like them even better.  Anything with caramel and I’m automatically along for the ride, and I just realized (after I made these yesterday) that today is National Caramel Day; so there you have it!

This recipe makes a lot so they are perfect for a kids function; as long as no one is allergic to peanuts. The recipe is from Better Homes & Gardens from one of their special addition publications titled “Brownies & Bars”.

Sweet & Salty Caramel Everything Bars

recipe: Better Homes & Gardens special addition: “Bars and Brownies”

yield: 36 bars

3 Cups crushed pretzels

1/3 Cup sugar

1 Cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 Cup unsalted butter

1/2 Cup whipping cream

1/4 Cup packed brown sugar

1 (11 oz.) pkg. caramel baking bits OR one (14 oz.) pkg vanilla caramels, unwrapped

2 Cup salted cocktail peanuts

1 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 Cup milk chocolate chips

1/2 Cup peanut butter flavor chips

1 Cup almond toffee bits

1. Preheat the oven to 325°  F. Line a 9x13x2 inch pan with double or heavy duty tinfoil. Spray pan with non-stick spray. Set aside. Make the crust: in a medium bowl combine the crushed pretzels, sugar and 1 cup milted butter. Press mixture into bottom of pan. In a medium bowl combine: semisweet chips, milk chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and toffee bits; set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup butter, whipping cream and brown sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Stir in the caramel bits. Cook and stir until caramel is melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in peanuts.

3. Quickly pour the caramel mixture over the pretzel crust and smooth out caramel to evenly distribute the peanuts. Sprinkle the chocolate chip mixture over the caramel layer and bake in preheated oven at 325° F for 25 minutes or until edges are bubbly and light brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Using the edges of the foil, lift the entire slab of bars out of the pan. Cut into bars.

To store: Layer bars between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.