Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats/Whatchamacallit Bar clones

Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats

1 stick REAL Butter~~~ margarine WILL NOT WORK
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Light Corn Syrup
1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
7-9 cups Rice Crispies

A 12 ounce bag of semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips for dipping/topping

Generously butter a 9x13 pan and set it aside. In a large pot melt the butter. Add the sugar and light corn syrup. Bring to a boil and cook until everything is combined. Stir in the peanut butter and continue cooking until the peanut butter melts. Keep a close eye on it so that it doesn't burn. When melted, shut off the heat and stir in 7-9 cups of rice crispy cereal. Pour into prepared pan and smooth out without compacting the mixture too tightly into the pan. Cool until the bottom of the pan is only slightly warm and the mixture is holding it's shape. Turn out onto a cookie sheet or large cutting board. Cut into squares and dip into melted chocolate.
You can also sprinkle the chocolate chips over the warm p.b. crispy mixture in the pan and spread them when they begin to melt instead of cutting and dipping each piece individually.
When completely cool store in an airtight container or ziplock baggie.
ENJOY!!!

To make a homemade version of a Whatchamacallit Bar pour the cereal mixture into a parchment or foil lined and greased 15x10x1" or half sheet baking pan instead of a 9x13" pan. Spread evenly but do not press down too firmly. Then mix up a batch of my homemade caramel and pour it over the peanut butter crispy mixture and allow it to firm up. Cut into individual bars, dip in melted milk chocolate and place onto a wax paper or parchment paper or lightly greased, foil lined baking sheet and chill or freeze until the chocolate is set.

Homemade Caramel
1/2 cup butter
1 2/3 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/3 cups light corn syrup
14 oz. sweetend condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
dash of salt

In a 3 quart heavy saucepan melt the butter. Stir in the brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add the sweetened condensed milk to the mixture in the pot and continue stirring. Cook until mixture reaches 225*F on a candy thermometer (approximately 8-9 minutes). Remove from heat and add the vanilla extract, stirring well to blend completely. Pour into a buttered, foil lined 8x8 baking pan. Cool completely in the pan. When cool remove the foil from the pan and cut into pieces using a pizza cutter for easier cutting. Wrap individual pieces of candy in waxed paper squares. To help caramels remain soft store them in a tightly covered container.

***Allow to cool until luke warm but still pourable for making turtles or topping brownies.***

If you like a firmer caramel candy cook until 245*F on a candy thermometer instead of 225*F. Cook only to this degree for plain caramel squares NOT the turtles, brownies or pretzels. Cooking until 225*F yields a soft and gooey caramel.