Halloween Black Widow Bars Recipe | Halloween Black Widow Bars Recipe Recipes | Halloween Black Widow Bars Recipe Recipe

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and hot

1/4 cup peanut butter, preferably chunky variety

1 cup dark brown sugar, packed

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, coarsely chopped

Frosting

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and hot

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar, divided

3/4 cup dark chocolate syrup

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Very lightly

grease bottom of 9-inch round baking pan.

Line bottom with parchment or wax paper.

For the bars: In a heatproof mixing bowl,

whisk together melted butter and peanut

butter until smooth. Add brown sugar,

eggs and vanilla, whisking until smooth.

Add flour and baking powder. Stir with

spoon until moistened. Stir in 1 chopped

chocolate chips and scrape bowl well.

Spoon into prepared pan and bake for 25-30

minutes just until tester inserted in center

comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes in pan. Run

knife around pan edge to loosen. Turn onto cake

plate and remove paper. Cool 30 minutes

before frosting.

For the frosting: In a 4-cup Pyrex measure

or heatproof bowl, combine hot melted butter

with semi-sweet chips. Stir continuously

until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth.

Add 1 cup confectioners' sugar and 1/4 cup

of the chocolate syrup. Stir until combined.

Mixture will thicken and become stiff. Add

remaining 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 1/4

cup milk and 1/4 cup chocolate syrup. Stir

until smooth. Allow frosting to stand 2 minutes.

Add remaining 1/4 cup chocolate syrup, adjusting

if too stiff. Frosting should appear smooth

and satiny. Frost top and sides of cake.

Set aside.

For the web decoration: In a small bowl,

combine 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar and

1 tablespoon milk. Stir until smooth,

adding milk until a slightly runny glaze

forms. Spoon into a small decorating bag

fitted with a round writing tip. Alternatively,

pour glaze into a small plastic bag and snip

off the corner to create a tip.

Work quickly; do not allow fudge frosting

to dry. Starting in the center of cake,

using white glaze, pipe circles on top

about 1/2 inch apart. Using cake tester

or wooden pick, lightly drag lines through

the frosting, from outer edges of cake to

center, about 1 inch apart. Decorate with

spiders and cut into small wedges. Store

at room temperature.

Serves 20.

Baker's hint: For an enhanced chunky texture,

add 1/2 cup chopped nuts to the bar base before

baking.

Nutrition values per serving: 343 calories,

16 g fat, 51 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber,

4 g protein, 47 mg cholesterol, 51 mg sodium