Homemade Whatchamacallits

Homemade Whatchamacallits - made March 23, 2012 from Inside BruCrew Life's blog

Remember Whatchamacallits?  I used  to love these candy bars when I was a kid - crisp rice, caramel, peanuts and chocolate, a no-fail combo.  I don't know if they even make these anymore since I don't shop the candy aisle unless I'm buying them on sale after Halloween for brownie add-ins but I don't recall seeing them in recent years.  This recipe from the blogosphere caught my eye and the pictures looked so yummy, I had to try them for myself.  Click on the recipe title to go to the original recipe and blog.

I did modify this though; instead of caramel topping, I used dulce de leche and instead of making the chocolate topping, I melted some milk chocolate candy melts and enrobed bar-size pieces to make a more authentic-looking whatchamacallit bar.  After having tasted these, they were good but to make them a little closer to the original whatchamacallit bar, I would consider cutting back on the flour and adding more rice krispies to get the crunch.  Modified recipe below.

2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup dulce de leche
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup caramel bits
3/4 cup chopped peanuts, toasted
2 cups rice krispies

Milk Chocolate Candy Melts (I used Wilton's Premium)

1. Line a 9 x 13" baking pan with foil and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
2. Cream the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs, vanilla, dulce de leche and salt and beat on low until fluffy.
3. Sift the baking powder and flour and slowly add to the butter mixture. Stir in the caramel bits, peanuts and rice krispies (in this order) by hand.   Batter will be thick.  Smooth top with small metal spatula.  Bake for 28 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
4. Cut blondies into bar-size rectangles (your choice on how big or small you want them to be.  Melt candy melts over low heat, stirring smooth.  Spread over bars, using small metal spatula, encasing top and sides with the melted chocolate.  Set on wax paper and let cool until chocolate is set.