Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy Bar Cookies

Not so long ago, there were some dark times brewing at the Sinful Southern Sweets house. The Runwild Princesses' were both sick with the crud. Runny noses, coughs. You know kids are just the epitome of "Germs Gone Wild."  Well, then...it happened. Yes, I got it.  You know the old sayin' "When Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy" Well,  Momma wasn't happy, to say the least. You know, when you're the Momma, and you get sick, there is no down time. No sick days.  I always get a nice chuckle at the Dr's office when they say "Now rest as much as possible." Seriously?!?!.....Let's not even go there. Anyways. To make the whole sick escapade even more delightful, the worst  possible punishment for a Food Junkie was bestowed upon me. 

I lost my sense of taste and smell....for 6 days. It was torture. I'm serious. If the Russians ever decided to come get me and try to torture me for information (Oh, I have information. Don't act like we don't get good Russian gossip down here below the Mason Dixon line.....we hear stuff, really :) they would just have to figure out how to mess with my senses. So,  for 6 days, I did not cook. What was the use? I certainly couldn't tell if what I was cooking was good or not. My poor family. They caught the brunt of my complaints. I'm thinking Mr. Sweets must have started pleading for God to just thrust the pain of the sickness upon him, because soon, he came down with it too! To make a long story short,  on day 6, the heavens parted and God bestowed a touch of mercy upon me and gave me a teaser of a scent here and a taste there. So what did I do??? I made these Candy Bar Cookies. I'm not certain if they are really as good as I thought they were, or if I was simply so ecstatic to be able to taste something of substance. But, I remember them being purely divine. So divine that I ate half of them all by myself. Then again.... I think I shall go and make them again just to make sure I'm remembering correctly :) Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy Bars

via Buns In My Oven
adapted from Taste Of Home, April/May 2010

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs or vanilla wafer crumbs
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 sleeves Ritz crackers (about 80 crackers)
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/4 cups peanut butter
• Optional-M&M's & Pretzels

In a large saucepan, combine the cracker crumbs, sugars, butter, and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes more.
Grease a 9×13 pan and place a single layer of Ritz crackers along the bottom. Top with half of the graham cracker crumb mixture. Repeat layers once and then top with the remaining Ritz crackers (I actually topped mine with about 1/2 cup of crushed pretzels.
In a microwave safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and peanut butter. Microwave on low, stopping to stir occasionally. Do not over cook or the chocolate will burn. Pour over the crackers (pretzels). Top with M&M's at this point. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into bars and enjoy!

*Remember to enter my Giveaway for a Mother's Day box of Fairytale Brownies!!