Tag: peanut butter

Caramel Nougat Chocolate Bars

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you
all had a nice holiday season. I’m starting the year off with a bang by
introducing you to these amazing Caramel Nougat Chocolate Bars. The
name on its own sounds like any other standard dessert, but the amazing
part is these taste exactly like Snickers.

Actually, these taste better than Snickers. You can also cut them into any size you’d like.

Sorry, New Year’s Resolutions.

I don’t think I could have told
you what actually makes the nougat layer of candy bars, so I never
would have thought I’d be able to recreate it exactly. Something tells
me I’m not alone. I have multiple memories of getting the nougat piece
in a box of chocolates and wishing I had gotten caramel or milk
chocolate instead of the one with the mystery filling. Now I know. I’m
not saying I would pick the nougat piece, but when you combine
chocolate, nougat, caramel and peanuts it’s amazing. Obviously Mars
already knows this since they have been making money on the combination
for decades.

I’m sure you’ve all seen the other copycat candy bar recipes. You take a bite and think, “Hmm, I guess it does somewhat taste like the real thing.” Not this one. This is spot on.
It also makes a giant serving. My main suggestion is to make sure you
keep it cold. I also found that setting it out for 15 minutes or so and
then cutting it with a warm knife helped. Enjoy!

Caramel Nougat Chocolate Bars (aka Snickers!)

Recipe from Deliciously Yum

First Chocolate Layer

1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Nougat Layer

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups salted peanuts

Caramel Layer

1 12-ounce bag of caramels
1/4 cup heavy cream

Final Chocolate Layer

1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 9×13-inch aluminum baking pan, optional

Instructions

Thoroughly grease your aluminum baking pan.
For the first layer, melt 1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips and 1/4 cup
peanut butter and mix until thoroughly combined. Pour into the bottom of
the aluminum pan and spread in an even layer. Let cool completely in
the fridge for 30 minutes or until firm.
For the nougat layer, melt 1/4 cup unsalted butter and add 1 cup sugar
plus 1/4 cup evaporated milk. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue
to cook (over medium-high heat) while stirring until sugar is completely
dissolved, about 5 minutes. Next, add 1 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff, 1/4
cup peanut butter, and vanilla. Stir until creamy and thoroughly
combined. Mix in 1 1/2 cups salted peanuts and spread evenly over
chocolate layer. Let cool completely on the counter or in the fridge
until firm.
For the caramel layer, combine caramels and 1/4 cup heavy cream in a
pot. Melt caramel mixture over medium-high heat, stirring constantly!
Spread over nougat layer and let cool once again.
For the fourth and final chocolate layer, melt the remaining 1 1/4 cups
milk chocolate chips and 1/4 cup peanut butter and mix until thoroughly
combined and creamy. Spread evenly over the caramel layer and let cool
completely. Refrigerate for two hours or until ready to serve. Bars will keep in refrigerator for one week.

PEANUT BUTTER & PRETZEL BARS

We’ve finally settled into our new home! So exciting. SO exciting! Our first few days were laden with confusion- do I have that? Did I keep it? Trash it?
(Wait… that may still be happening… although I’m feeling like that excuse isn’t as reliable as it was earlier in the week:)

I attempted to make a dessert for family dinner the other week and literally had a serious lack of basic ingredients- my pantry was full, but my fridge? Empty:) I had to improvise.
This is what I came up with! (Thanks, Pinterest!)

The good news? They were amazing!

Great ready to be wowed…

Peanut Butter & Pretzel Bars
(Original recipe found here.)

3 C salted *pretzels

1 C creamy peanut butter

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

1/4 C packed brown sugar

1/2 C powdered sugar

1 1/2 C milk chocolate

Ground salt

Line an 8 x 8″ baking pan with foil, coat with non stick spray, and set aside. Roughly crush 2 cups of pretzels. Combine the peanut butter, butter, and sugars in a small bowl, then stir in the crushed pretzels. Press this mixture evenly into the lined pan, and chill for 20 minutes.

Melt chocolate (I used a double boiler), and pour over peanut butter base. Spread evenly and tap the pan against a hard surface to even out the chocolate a bit more. Place pretzels evenly over the top (this will be your cutting guide), and sprinkle additional (ground/coarse) salt. Cool in refrigerator or on counter. Lift the foil out of the pan with the bars, peel the foil off, then using a sharp knife, cut into squares.

*Notes: Like I mentioned, I had to improvise a bit. Rather than using cute mini pretzels, I had larger pretzels and crushed those up for the topping. Also, I only had natural peanut butter, so mine weren’t as “set” as I wish they would have been- the natural oils made it a little creamier than I think they were intended. You can tell that they didn’t cut super even, but they were fun and “rustic!” And… still tasted incredible:)

Maple-Walnut Butter Cookies

The maple-walnut butter cookies are crispy, chewy, and just about perfect.

I’m pretty sure I’ve eaten my weight in cookies this month, but these maple-walnut butter cookies are some of my favorites. Their texture is just amazing – crispy on the edges but wonderfully chewy in the middle. They’re intensely buttery with maple-y sweetness, a touch of walnut, and the perfect amount of salt.

They also seem to get better and better the longer they sit, which makes them perfect for giving as gifts or bringing to a cookie exchange. If you can bear to part with them yourself, that is. (I thought about it, but decided I just couldn’t.)

To make these cookies, start by processing walnuts into a paste (think peanut butter, but better). Then, mix together a pretty basic dough. I’ve been lazy about taking my butter out to soften lately, so I’ve been using a trick that I learned recently – grate the cold butter into shreds with a cheese grater. By the time you’re done, you’ll be rewarded with a pile of buttery ribbons that are the perfect temperature. It works like a charm!

Because these cookies are so delicate, I call for sifting the dry ingredients – another step that I’m usually pretty lazy about. It only takes a few seconds and you definitely don’t want any clumps of baking soda in your cookies (especially if you’re giving them away). If you don’t have a sifter (I actually use a mesh colander) you can also use a wire whisk to break up any clumps that might have formed in your dry ingredients – they should be light and fluffy.

Maple-Walnut Butter Cookies

Author: Lauren Keating

Serves: 24

Ingredients

1 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1-1/4 cup sugar
¼ cup maple syrup
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
1-1/4 cups Gold Medal® all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

Heat oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicon baking mats.
Add the walnuts to a food processor or blender; process until very finely ground, 20-30 seconds. Drizzle in the oil and process until a paste forms.
In a mixing bowl, beat together the walnut butter and butter until smooth. Add the sugar and maple syrup; beat until fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir into the walnut mixture until completely incorporated.
Scoop teaspoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 2 inches in between each cookie. Bake 9-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the cookies are slightly puffy. Remove from the oven and gently press the centers down with a spatula. Let cool completely.

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This post was sponsored by Gold Medal Flour. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep me inspired in the kitchen.

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