Peppermint Crumb Bars

A new and terrific holiday recipe - Peppermint Crumb Bars!

These bars are the perfect combination of chewy, crunchy, pepperminty goodness.  You'll want to cut these pretty small because they're rich.

The recipe is unbelievably simple and the result is terrific.

When I first made these, I tasted them after they had cooled for about 15 minutes.  I wasn't impressed and almost put the recipe aside.

Then I refrigerated them overnight and decided to go ahead and take some photos.

Well, in taking photos the number 1 rule is you gotta taste whatever you're photographing.  

I cut a small (about 1 ½ x 1 ½ inch) piece and noticed how firm it had become.  I tasted it and, oh my, what a difference.  Chewy, crunchy, buttery, and totally addictive.

These Peppermint Crumb Bars are fairly easy to put together, so I don't have many tips, but you will want your butter at room temperature so it'll make a fluffy mixture.

Also, make sure all of your vanilla chips (I used Ghirardelli white premium baking chips) are totally melted into the condensed milk (condensed milk, not evaporated!).  Mush the chips with the back of your stirring spoon to help along the process if needed.

Also, don't pulverize the peppermints.  Leave a few good-sized chunks.  The peppermint candy kind of melts into the crumb mixture and it's a great combination.

If you don't have peppermint extract, you can leave it out.  I think it kicks up the peppermint flavor a little, though.

I'm so glad I didn't dismiss these wonderful little festive bars.  You, you family and your friends will enjoy these and they're kind of pretty on a holiday plate!

If you think these look good, you might also enjoy the wonderful little Candy Cane Shortbread Diamonds (a great frosting on those, too) of the crunchy, minty, amazing Peppermint Snowballs.

My three little Santas trying to decide whether to dig in or not...

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Peppermint Crumb Bars

Yield: 36 bars

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Crunchy, chewy, pepperminty, delicious little bars. Best right out of the refrigerator!

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Ingredients

• ¾ Cup butter, room temperature
• ½ Cup packed brown sugar
• 2 Cups All-purpose flour
• 1 Can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 package vanilla chips or white baking chips (about 12 oz)
• ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray or grease a 13x9" baking pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides several times while beating.
3. On low, add the flour and mix until crumbly. Press 2 ¼ cups of the mixture into the pan (will be a pretty thin layer) and set aside the remaining crumbles. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then remove from oven.
4. Meanwhile, in a heavy saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla chips until the chips are completely melted, stirring frequently till smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the peppermint extract (optional). Pour over the hot crust and spread evenly. Combine the crushed candy and reserved crumb mixture; sprinkle over the top.
5. Bake for 20-22 minutes until lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack. I recommend refrigerating for about 2 hours before cutting for the best results. Keep leftovers refrigerated.

Notes

Don't pulverize the peppermints. You want a little texture and they will kind of melt into the crumble when baked.

I use salted butter for this one.

They'll be stiff when you take them out of the refrigerator, so cut with a large, sharp knife. They're best when eaten from the refrigerator.

Cut fairly small pieces - they're rich!