Salted Nut Roll Bars

Twelve Days of Cookie Baking — Day 10

Create memories your families and friends will savor for years to come

Last year for the “Twelve Days of Candy Making” series Rita Meyer shared her recipe for the popcorn cake she makes each holiday season. This time around she has another equally simple creation for FFF readers — salted nut roll bars.

“They are d’lish,” Rita says. “I make them all the time because it’s the quickest, easiest bar recipe that I have and almost everyone loves it! They fit in nicely with other treats on a cookie tray. I make a lot of simple sweets for school and church activities this time of year including oatmeal date bars, date balls rolled in coconut, cornflake wreaths, sugar cookies and my ever-popular popcorn cake.” CJK

Salted Nut Roll Bars

(Rita Meyer)

4 tbsp. butter

1 10 oz. pkg. peanut butter chips 

1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 10.5 oz. pkg. miniature marshmallows

1 16 oz. jar dry roasted peanuts, divided

Spray 9 by 13-inch pan with no-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, melt butter with peanut butter chips in the microwave. Add sweetened condensed milk and stir. Add miniature marshmallows, stirring only until marshmallows are coated.

Sprinkle half of the jar of peanuts in the prepared pan. Spread peanut butter chip mixture over the top and pat down so peanuts stick to it. Sprinkle remaining peanuts over the top, pressing into marshmallow layer.

Keep refrigerated.

Yield: 36 bars

A note from Rita: It’s important to use dry roasted peanuts for this recipe. They cling to the marshmallow filling mixture better than other peanuts. And, make sure to press the top peanut layer firmly into the filling so you don’t get too many loose nuts.

A note from Carol: Rita has written the “From the Home Front” column for The Visitor for about eight years. She and her husband, Marv, and four children, Emma (12), Justine (10), Luke (8) and Miranda (4) are members of St. John the Baptist Parish in Meire Grove, Minn.