Ultimate Pretzel-Crusted Peanut Butter Cookie Candy Brownie Bars

Ultimate Pretzel-Crusted Peanut Butter Cookie Candy Brownie Bars

Makes 24-30 squares, depending how you cut them.

Repeat the title over and over again.  You won't ever get frustrated at how long the name of this dessert is, because, well, let's be honest... everything in the name is pretty much awesome.  And when you put them together, things get even better.  I made the horrid mistake of purchasing too few Reese's peanut butter cups.  The package I bought had, what looked like, quite a few, but I was short, which is why I ended up chopping them into pieces and scattering them on top of the dough instead of placing them down whole as instructed in the recipe.  My way didn't take too much away from the ultimate goal, but I think I'll try the "right" way when making these again in the future.  
Source: Baby Gizmo

2 ½ cups crushed butter pretzels
1 cup melted butter
5 tbsp sugar
Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Mix and all the ingredients the mix calls for
Family size Brownie Mix and all the ingredients the mix calls for
Snack Size Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (2 – 10.5oz bags) ***Buy exactly this to have enough.  If you skimp on peanut butter cups, you'll be forced to face the tragedy I did: cutting them to make ends meet.  Avoid this, is possible.

Crush the pretzels in a food processor or however you like to crush pretzels. Any kind of pretzels will do but I recommend using crushed butter pretzels (you find them next to the regular pretzels and they are literally called “Synder Butter Pretzels”) for the recipe. I also recommend not crushing the pretzels to dust but keep some small pieces to keep the crust crunchy. Mix the melted butter (melt in microwave), sugar and pretzel crumbs. Press into lightly greased 13×9 pan. Set aside pretzel crust and make the cookie dough.

Make the cookie dough according to the package. Lightly press the cookie dough evenly on top of the pretzel crust.

Unwrap 24 snack-size Reese’s Peanut Butter cups and cover the cookie dough with the candy.

Whip up your brownie mix and pour evenly over the Peanut Butter Cups.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Cool for 10 minutes and then enjoy!