Crispy Peanut-Butter Bars (no oven required)

It’s been so hot, I don’t want to turn on the oven to bake, so I made these easy, practically heat-free treats. This recipe is a riff on the No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars found in Lucinda Scala Quinn’s very excellent book, Mad Hungry. Her version is fantastic, and doesn’t warrant changes, but I used what I had in the house and added some chocolate.

Recipe: No-Bake Chocolate Peanut-Butter Bars
Adapted from Mad Hungry by Lucinda Scala Quinn, Artisan, October 2009.
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups crispy brown rice cereal (I like Erewhon brand)
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips or regular chocolate chips

Line an 8×8 (or 9×9) glass or metal cake pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides. Combine honey, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it boils. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Fold in the rice cereal and salt until well mixed. Press rice mixture into prepare pan and sprinkle chocolate chips over the surface, pressing them down gently and quickly to help them adhere. (Chocolate chips will melt a bit, so touch them as little as possible to preserve their shape.) Cool completely (the freezer is a good place for this!) then lift from pan and cut into squares.