Choco-tahini rice crispie bars

February 25, 2011  •  Category: , ,

 

What happens when hunger pangs start manifesting themselves and it is 4 PM? I propose grabbing (just) one of these and having a cup of (decaf) coffee. Made of dark chocolate (good for you), tahini (great for you), peanut butter (great for you) and puffed rice (protein).


If you like the taste of halva, make these with tahini only.

If you like the taste of peanut butter, use only peanut butter and forget the tahini.

Since I like both, I used both.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 250 g. (8.8 ounces) dark chocolate (I used Lindt excellence chili flavor)
  • 40 g. (1.4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut in small dice, softened at room temperature
  • 50 g. (1.8 ounces) puffed rice (can substitute rice krispies)
  • 100 g. (4 ounces) tahini
  • 100 g. (4 ounces) peanut butter

METHOD:

  1. Cut the chocolate in small squares, place in a glass bowl and microwave for one minute or so, until the chocolate starts to melt. Using a spoon or a spatula, stir the chocolate until it melts completely.
  2. Add the butter to the chocolate and stir till the butter melts as well. Mix the two well for a few seconds.
  3. Add the tahini and peanut butter or one or the other and mix well. (You can use a blender for this if your peanut butter or tahini is not soft enough); blend the mixture until it is smooth and shiny.
  4. Add the puffed rice (or rice krispies) and mix well. Take a 9 inch x 13 inch rectangular pan and line it with parchment paper or wax paper. Pour the mixture on the pan and using a spatula, spread it all over the pan evenly.
  5. Use another piece of wax paper and spread the it as well, using the paper as a guide (to prevent your fingers from getting stained with the chocolate mixture).
  6. Place the pan in the fridge for one hour (or the freezer for 30 minutes). Remove and cut into bars or squares and enjoy!
Inspired by a recipe from Chef Bruno Viala.
NOTE: Puffed rice is available in Indian grocery stores in abundance.

Comments

40 Comments  •  Comments Feed

  1. Anita says:

    fantastic idea! I can imagine the texture being so creamy and rich, yummy. Nice work J.

  2. Christine @ Fresh says:

    I remember chocolate crispy bars from my youth! These look so good!

  3. Carolyn Jung says:

    Forget rice krispie treats. These are so much more glam looking. Love ’em! 😉

  4. domi says:

    Bonjour Joumana, une délicieuse gourmandise qui pourrait nous évité d’ avoir…. le coup de barre, et de plus voilà un dessert qui va ” soufflé ” plus d’ un gourmand. Bisous et merci de cette belle recette, passe un bon week end

  5. SYLVIA says:

    A close cousin of rice crispy, with a dose of antioxidant packed bittersweet chocolate. Perfect recipe to serve to kids. Flavorful, and sweet on the tongue. Won’t last long once they arrive.

  6. sophia says:

    This KICKS RICE KRISPIE BAR’S ASS!!!!!!! I love your addition of tahini!!

  7. oum mouncifrayan says:

    une idée sympa! à tester absolument.. merci joumana pour ton gentil passage!

  8. Cherine says:

    Those bars are irresistible!! A great combo!

  9. soficook says:

    très bonne idée pour une belle gourmandise, c’est très appétissant !!! bon week end

  10. Diane says:

    These look delicious, but the only food I do not like in this world is peanut butter!! Could I use only tahini? Diane

  11. Suman Singh says:

    Your recipes are always amazing! I love puffed rice and I’m sure this one must have tasted awesome! I would certainly want to try this one soon..thanks for sharing!

  12. FOODESSA says:

    I just found some Quinoa puffed wafers the other day…and you just inspired be on an idea derived from this treat you shared.

    Thanks for thinking of our sweet tooth and of course trying to help keep our hips slim ;o)

    Have a great weekend and flavourful wishes,
    Claudia

  13. Joanne says:

    And what if you like the taste of both halvah AND peanut butter? I say, make a double batch!

  14. pierre says:

    elles sont irrésistibles tes petites barres !!pierre

  15. TheKitchenWitch says:

    This looks like the perfect afternoon pick-me-up!

  16. PJ says:

    Wow!!!I can’t take my eyes off those delicious bars.You will hear from me soon as to how they turned out.Great recipe:)

  17. Peter says:

    I love the ‘mosaic’ look of these rice bars!

  18. Priya says:

    Feel like munching some…beautiful bars..

  19. pigpigscorner says:

    Never thought of using tahini in baking, great idea!

  20. cuisinekurde says:

    très bonne idée, ca a l’air super bon !

  21. Doria says:

    Ces barres chocolatées sont une pure merveille de gourmandise !!!
    Je te souhaite une très belle soirée en ce samedi,
    Bisous, Doria

  22. Maria @ Scandifoodie says:

    That looks irresistible! I love the idea of this recipe!

  23. Stella says:

    Joumana! You’ve been posting the most awesome stuff lately! Yum, Lady:-)

  24. 5 Star Foodie says:

    Sounds like a scrumptious snack for sure, love the puffed rice there!

  25. Conor @ HoldtheBeef says:

    Perfect for me right now Joumana, as I am currently having to eat gluten-free. Thanks!

  26. bergamot says:

    This is a nice idea for a snack since my oven has conked off and I need to make something for my daughter to keep her going for the week.

  27. Foodycat says:

    These look great! A very nutritious snack.

  28. Soma says:

    First I though you used rice krispies, but I was thinking of the Indian puffed rice. And I like halva way better than peanut butter. Tahini and chocolate sounds amazing!

  29. Caffettiera says:

    Just one?! No, it won’t work for me. I love both peanut butter and tahini.

  30. Tom @ Tall Clover says:

    Joumana, I had a hankering for something crunchy and chocolate, thanks so much for reading my mind!

  31. Mark says:

    Great combination, chocolate and pretzel. They look like great fun.

  32. GretchenJoanna says:

    I saw your mention elsewhere that these can be Lenten–have you made them with only the nut butter(s), leaving out the dairy butter? I will have to try that, in any case. 🙂

    • Joumana says:

      @GretchenJoanna: I have use both but you can make them using margarine for Lent; I would not make them using only tahini though!

  33. Zeina says:

    Can you make this without the peanut butter?

  34. Habibi says:

    The Indian puffed rice looks just like ordinary puffed rice cereal which can be bought in the regular cereal aisle at any American grocery store. Easy to find and cheap! Rice Krispies just aren’t quite the same, but some Americans are probably more familiar with those.

  35. Arianna says:

    These were on my “to try” list for quite a while, and I finally made them last month and could kick myself for waiting this long! These are SO easy and so delicious! I love peanut butter, but have a real soft spot for tahini, so I made them only with tahini. I used Earth Balance instead of butter because I was gifting them to a vegan friend. They were very much appreciated! I have made them again, since i really have no other use for the left over puffed rice 🙂 I see potential here for substitutions/additions, though. Do you think these would work with nuts and/or rolled oats? Thank you!

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