Barley & Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

March 14, 2012

As someone who regularly bakes and gives away treats, I tend to really appreciate it when the tables turn and someone gives me a personally-made pastry instead. I especially appreciate it when it’s a unique treat that I’ve never had before and when it’s something as delicious as these bars were. Who knew that something called “dried spent grains” could be so tasty?

Yep you got it, these yummy bars were a side product from a home beer brewing kit. The grains left behind from making beer were dried and re-incarnated in dessert form. So if you make them, not only do you get to enjoy them but you can do so with a cold glass of your own homemade small batch beer in hand (or at least, dreaming about said homemade small batch beer glass since the fermentation process takes a lot longer than these bars do). Kudos to the creator (Brooklyn Brew Shop) and maker (TJ!) of this recipe for deliciousness, creativity and resourcefulness. I would have just assumed the spent grains should get thrown away. For shame, ignorant hypothetical self! No barley CPB bars for you.

Big thanks to TJ for sharing! You can find the recipe he used from Brooklyn Brew Shop. (Though if you don’t happen to have dried spent grains on-hand, I’d be willing to bet that a crunchy cereal of some sort would work in their place. They just might not have that same wonderful Bill-Nye essence to them.)