I love watching the Super Bowl. I don’t want you to get the false impression that I follow any team in particular, or even the sport as a whole. As is the case with most occasions like this, I’m totally in it for the food. These Super Bowl Bars are the perfect addition to a game day spread.
My husband will make buffalo and “mahogany” chicken wings (recipes he only whips out for this event). My sons explained to me, in no uncertain terms, that I need to make bars, and they are not to be “too fancy.” They fear I’ll show up with some girly, frilly, lacy dessert and be a humiliation to their dude-ness. So, I layered up all the things I could think might be appropriate at a party dedicated to football, including potato chips, coffee, peanuts, and much, much more. Everything but beer.
These treats are a bit inspired by the Momofuku Milk Bar Compost Cookies, but I took it to a whole new level with a rich chocolate topping. When my youngest son taste tested them he asked, suspiciously and with a full mouth, if I’d put a layer of mousse on top, which would have placed them in the realm of “fancy.” I did not, but the chocolate-hazelnut ganache is very mousse-like and completely awesome. He had another one just to make sure.
A fact about me that not many people know, until now … I was a cheerleader in high school (and middle school) for the football team. I had two qualifications that made this a more obvious fit than you might think, given my indifference to the game. I was a loud mouth and I was pretty coordinated, having grown up with a mom who owns a dance studio. I had no idea what was going on behind on the field and quite frankly I never really cared. But, when it came to the bake sale to raise money for the team, I was all about it.
Here are my “Not Too Fancy for the Super Bowl, but just fancy enough to make ME happy, Bars”. They are really simple to make, so if you need a last minute treat to bring to your Super Bowl Fête, these are perfect and decadent. Go Bars!
To make the bars: Preheat oven to 350°F
Combine the crushed cookies and butter. Press the cookies very tightly into the bottom of a 9×13-inch pan. Bake for about 10 minutes or until it feels set.
Scatter the chocolate, coconut, peanuts and cereal over the crust.
Heat the condensed milk just to a simmer, remove from heat and mix in the espresso and vanilla. Pour the condensed milk over the top of the pan of bars. Bake the bars for about 20 minutes or until the edges start bubble and the center is set.
Allow the bars to cool to room temperature. Scatter the potato chips over the top.
In a small saucepan heat the cream to a simmer. Remove from heat and add the chocolate and nutella. Swirl the pan to cover the chocolate, allow to sit for a couple of minutes. Gently stir the mixture until completely combined. Pour over the bars and spread to cover evenly. Refrigerate until the topping is set.
Once the bars are set, use a sharp knife, dipped in hot water to cut them. I start by cutting around the edges.
This is known, in the professional culinary industry, as “chef’s snack.”
Cut the bars using the sharp knife,
dipping in the hot water to melt through the ganache, this will prevent it from cracking.
Into 24 pieces.
There are all the tasty layers.
Not too fancy, but they do have a sophisticated, not too sweet, truffle or mousse-like decadence.
Ingredients
Super Bowl Bars
- 24 whole Oreos or 30 homemade chocolate wafers crushed into a powder
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter melted
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tsp espresso powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut tightly packed
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
- 1 cup salted, roasted peanuts
- 1 1/4 cups cereal I used Chocolate Toast Crunch, but I think any crunchy cereal will do
- 2 oz (2 small lunch box sized bags) potato chips crushed
Nutella Ganache
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup nutella
Instructions
Bars
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Combine the crushed cookies and butter. Press the cookies very tightly into the bottom of a 9×13-inch pan. Bake for about 10 minutes or until it feels set. Scatter the chocolate, coconut, peanuts and cereal over the crust.
- Heat the condensed milk just to a simmer, remove from heat and mix in the espresso and vanilla. Pour the condensed milk over the top of the pan of bars. Bake the bars for about 20 minutes or until the edges start bubble and the center is set.
- Allow the bars to cool to room temperature. Scatter the potato chips over the top.
Ganache
- In a small saucepan heat the cream to a simmer. Remove from heat and add the chocolate and nutella. Swirl the pan to cover the chocolate, allow to sit for a couple of minutes. Gently stir the mixture until completely combined. Pour over the bars and spread to cover evenly. Refrigerate until the topping is set.
- Once the bars are set, use a sharp knife, dipped in hot water to cut them. I start by cutting around the edges. This is known, in the professional culinary industry, as "chef's snack."
- Cut the bars using the sharp knife, dipping in the hot water to melt through the ganache, this will prevent it from cracking. Into 24 pieces.
Loved the idea of the chef’s snack. I assume it also makes it easy to get out the rest of the bars. I love nutella so I’ll have to try–though I am trying to cut down on sugar–oh, well!
Hi Roo,
It does help to get them out of the pan, and keeps the chef happy! 🙂
Cheers, Zoë
Chef’s snacks are my favorite 😉 These look like a great treat!
Thoughts on lining the pan with foil then (once cooled/set) lifting out to cut? Would that work ok with this recipe?
Thanks!!
Hi Carrie,
Yes, it should work just fine. In fact, the first batch I lined with parchment, but when I cut them, in the pan, I realized they’d come out fine without it and the parchment was getting shredded. Be careful if you lift them out as a whole. You may want to cover the chilled top with plastic, invert the pan, peel off the foil and then invert onto the cutting board. This will insure that they stay flat and not crack.
Cheers, Zoë
Yum! We have a tree nut allergy in our family, so do you think peanut butter can be substituted for Nutella?
Hi Michele,
Yes, you could use peanut butter or just leave it out and have a straight chocolate ganache.
Thanks, Zoë
Love the “chef’s snack” ;). These bars look perfect!
Thanks Laura!
Got to keep the chef happy! 😉
Cheers, Zoë
They look fabulous!
Thank you Marnita!
I miss seeing you on the lake! Oh, will winter ever end?
Cheers, Zoë
This makes me ridiculously happy. I can’t imagine a more perfect dessert for the big game!
Hi Courtney,
Thanks for the sweet note. You may want to make a double batch, mine are all gone and I miss them. I’ll make more for Sunday!
Cheers, Zoë
Chef’s snack!! Love it!
In my house, they’re called “Uglies”, which basically means that anyone (who gets there first) can have them. They’re what my riffraff homies prefer, especially if they have crispy edges. In their opinion, the invited guests can suck it up and deal with the “non-Uglies”.
Hi Gayle,
I’m with you, I think the crispy edges are always the best part!
Cheers, Zoë
Peanut allergies here. What would you recommend for alternate nut? Perhaps toasted walnuts?
Hi Helen,
The first batch I made with pecans, which I LOVE! My boys prefer peanuts, which is why I used them in this batch.
Enjoy, Zoë
Zoe: those bars shot to the top of my list just now! But I have to tell you, I cracked up when I scrolled down to the comment area, and there was the ad about Liposuction! That’s probably where I should be heading after eating probably most of those bars! Too funny-!! Cannot wait to make these bars!! Yummmm-!!
Mmmmickie
Hahaha Mickie,
That made me laugh so hard, my family asked what was so funny. Clearly google or whoever controls the ads are not paying attention, or maybe they are!? 😉
Cheers, Zoë
Um. Yes. I do not like football (though university games were pretty fun) but I would sit through the super bowl for the wings and these bars. I love the salty, sweet and chocolaty mix and they are stunning! But sorry to say for your sons, I think these bars could go both ways.
Jamie,
I am lucky, the boys actually don’t care for it much either, so we tend to play board games until the halftime show! 🙂
Cheers, Zoë
Zoe that looks amazing!! thanks for your creativity!!!
Thank you Cecilia!
Cheers, Zoë
These do look great Zoe; a great treat for a football game. Well, not just a football game for some of us. A hint? I live in Denver. Enough said?
You know…I have your books and I RT your stuff on Twitter and I think I’ve always been nice to you so come on…bring out that cheerleader in you one more time and try these words on for size:
GO BRONCOS!! Come on try it again; out loud.
Now really, how hard was that. 🙂
Oh Barbara,
I will do better and get out the pom poms! Give Me a B-A-R-B-A-R-A! (insert wild hand gestures)
Cheers, Zoë
Hehe that was actually better; I’ll take a good laugh anyday over a football win…well almost any day! BTW looked at your remodel too. Wow is all I can say. If you want some of this stuff just yell, would love to send you a jar; I always keep a stash on hand and I use it for all of my butcher block as well as spoons, bowls..whatever is wood gets it slathered on!
http://www.creative-culinary.com/wood-butter-helps-renew-wood-utensils-and-bowls/
Hi Barbara,
That looks incredible! I need some for sure. I should just follow your post on making it!
Cheers, Zoë
Enjoyed your segment on TCL. Have you always worked out of your kitchen? I was in the food business and baking for 26 yrs and would like to start a small baking business.
Hi Rose,
Thank you so much for tuning in. I work out of my kitchen, but only for recipe testing and writing, not to serve the public. You can do a home business, but the MN food saftey laws are very stricked.
Good luck! Zoë
Oh, man. You’re killing me. These look incredible.
How in the world did I never know about this “chef’s snack?” Win-win – pretty bars and a way to taste test!
These look amazing! Could I double this recipe and bake in a half sheet pan (12x17x1)?
Hi Jennifer,
Yes, I think it will work perfectly!
Enjoy, Zoë
I tried these yesterday and the ganache did not set. They were too messy to eat by hand. Any advice? Thank you!