I had half a bag of pretzels and some marshmallows that were going to go stale if I didn't use them soon. So...Tiger Bites! -- a blending of a couple bar cookie recipes I found. If I wasn't trying to use up the marshmallows I had, I might use mini-marshmallows instead. Although the browned tops of the larger ones give the even, golden "tiger" color under the chocolate drizzled stripes.
Cookie Bar Ingredients
1
½ C broken pretzel pieces
1
¼ C flour
1
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt (optional; pretzels are pretty salty already)
½ C butter
1
½ C brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
non-stick cooking spray
Topping Ingredients
8 large marshmallows, halved
¼ C chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate)
2 T (about) cream - or milk
Directions
Preheat oven to 350
˚. Line a 9" square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang (to lift baked cookie bars out of the pan); coat lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
Pulse 1 C of pretzel pieces in food processor until finely ground (or smash in a plastic bag using a rolling pin). Combine with flour, baking powder and salt (if desired).
Melt butter with brown sugar over medium heat. Do not boil. Cool slightly; stir in eggs and vanilla. Combine with pretzel flour mixture until well blended. Pour and spread batter in baking pan. Lightly press remaining pretzel pieces over surface of batter.
Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely, then lift out of baking pan, onto a sheet pan (spread foil edges out).
Preheat broiler. Gently press marshmallow halves (cut-side down) in rows (4x4) on top of cookie bars. Place under broiler -- moving and rotating as needed to brown all marshmallows evenly.
Place chocolate chips and 1-2 T cream in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in SHORT intervals, stirring frequently, to melt chocolate. Drizzle in 'stripes' over tops of cookie bars. Chill or let harden at room temperature to set chocolate before serving. Cut into 16 bars.
