My Take on TAKE 5 candy bar! Caramel, peanuts, peanut butter, pretzel and chocolate! Awesome!!!

Have you ever heard of a candy bar and it sounded so good. But, when you try it, it’s just not right. That’s what happened to me. I love salty-sweet snacks. But, it was missing something. So, I decided to play with the proportions and I think it’s amazing now. Seriously, it’s AMAZING (and I am just so humble ;)) I did make my own caramel, but you can use store bought caramel. It will still rock!

The layers to the Take 5 are: Pretzel, Peanut Butter mixture, Caramel and Peanuts. I mixed the peanuts into the caramel because it was easier.

The parts to the Take 5! The caramel with peanuts is already made, but here are the parts to the peanut butter mixture.

Pretzel: I used Snyder’s of Hanover Butter Snap Pretzels. They are the ones that look like little waffles. Any pretzel will work, but these look like the one in the original.

Peanut Butter Mixture: This is a super easy recipe. I added a dash of salt to make sure my end result is salty-sweet. Here it is:

Peanut Butter Mixture

· 1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter

· 1 cup Powdered Sugar

· 2 tablespoons of Graham Cracker crumbs (I used a food processor to get the crumb as fine as possible).

Step:

1) Mix all ingredients together. That’s it!!

Caramel: I made my caramel recipe found here and added 1 cup of chopped salted peanuts before I poured it into a 13 x 9 pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. If you don’t wish to make your own, here is what you can do:

Store Bought Caramels

· 70 – 100 caramels (I say 70 is enough, but Mr. Wonderful says 100. It up to you and how much you love caramel)

· 1-2 tablespoons of Evaporated Milk

· 1 cup of Chopped Salted Peanuts

Steps:

1) Unwrap all your caramels and place in a microwave safe bowl

2) Add 1-3 tablespoons of Evaporated Milk (I would use one tablespoon for 70 caramels and 2 for 100 caramels.)

3) Place in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Repeat until the caramels are melted.

4) Stir in Peanuts.

5) Pour into a 13 x 9 pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.

 

Now we have the components, we can make the candy bars!!

Assembly:

1) Prepare the caramels in a 13 x 9 pan. Allow to firm up.
2) Remove the caramel from the pan and place on a Silpat or sprayed aluminum foil.
3) Spread the peanut butter mixture onto of the caramel.
4) Place the pretzels on top of the peanut butter mixture close together. Leave a little room in between to be able to cut the squares apart.

5) Once you have the pretzels in place, press them into the peanut butter mixture.
6) Cut the candy into squares (using the pretzels as a guide). Place the candy on a sprayed pan and place in the fridge. You want the peanut butter mixture to be as firm as possible before you dip them. Leave in the fridge for at least an hour.

7) Now, let’s dip! Prepare your chocolate (I used Milk Chocolate Candy Melts) using the instructions on the back of the package or use my instructions found here.
8) Retrieve the candy from the fridge. Using a fork, place the squares (one at a time) in the chocolate pretzel side down. Then, use the fork to flip over the candy to cover the caramel side. Slide the fork under the caramel side and lift it up. Tap off the excess chocolate and place on a Silpat or wax paper.

9) I used a little extra melted chocolate in a Ziploc bag to make a design on top. I just snipped the very tip of the bag and drizzled chocolate over the top.

I hope you try these. They are really good and this recipe makes a ton! You can easily get 5 or 6 gifts out of one batch. Enjoy!!

Have you ever heard of a candy bar and it sounded so good. But, when you try it, it’s just not right. That’s what happened to me. I love salty-sweet snacks. But, it was missing something. So, I decided to play with the proportions and I think it’s amazing now. Seriously, it’s AMAZING (and I am just so humble ;)) I did make my own caramel, but you can use store bought caramel. It will still rock!

The layers to the Take 5 are: Pretzel, Peanut Butter mixture, Caramel and Peanuts. I mixed the peanuts into the caramel because it was easier.

The parts to the Take 5! The caramel with peanuts is already made, but here are the parts to the peanut butter mixture.

Pretzel: I used Snyder’s of Hanover Butter Snap Pretzels. They are the ones that look like little waffles. Any pretzel will work, but these look like the one in the original.

Peanut Butter Mixture: This is a super easy recipe. I added a dash of salt to make sure my end result is salty-sweet. Here it is:

Peanut Butter Mixture

· 1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter

· 1 cup Powdered Sugar

· 2 tablespoons of Graham Cracker crumbs (I used a food processor to get the crumb as fine as possible).

Step:

1) Mix all ingredients together. That’s it!!

Caramel: I made my caramel recipe found here and added 1 cup of chopped salted peanuts before I poured it into a 13 x 9 pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. If you don’t wish to make your own, here is what you can do:

Store Bought Caramels

· 70 – 100 caramels (I say 70 is enough, but Mr. Wonderful says 100. It up to you and how much you love caramel)

· 1-2 tablespoons of Evaporated Milk

· 1 cup of Chopped Salted Peanuts

Steps:

1) Unwrap all your caramels and place in a microwave safe bowl

2) Add 1-3 tablespoons of Evaporated Milk (I would use one tablespoon for 70 caramels and 2 for 100 caramels.)

3) Place in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Repeat until the caramels are melted.

4) Stir in Peanuts.

5) Pour into a 13 x 9 pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.

 

Now we have the components, we can make the candy bars!!

Assembly:

1) Prepare the caramels in a 13 x 9 pan. Allow to firm up.
2) Remove the caramel from the pan and place on a Silpat or sprayed aluminum foil.
3) Spread the peanut butter mixture onto of the caramel.
4) Place the pretzels on top of the peanut butter mixture close together. Leave a little room in between to be able to cut the squares apart.

5) Once you have the pretzels in place, press them into the peanut butter mixture.
6) Cut the candy into squares (using the pretzels as a guide). Place the candy on a sprayed pan and place in the fridge. You want the peanut butter mixture to be as firm as possible before you dip them. Leave in the fridge for at least an hour.

7) Now, let’s dip! Prepare your chocolate (I used Milk Chocolate Candy Melts) using the instructions on the back of the package or use my instructions found here.
8) Retrieve the candy from the fridge. Using a fork, place the squares (one at a time) in the chocolate pretzel side down. Then, use the fork to flip over the candy to cover the caramel side. Slide the fork under the caramel side and lift it up. Tap off the excess chocolate and place on a Silpat or wax paper.

9) I used a little extra melted chocolate in a Ziploc bag to make a design on top. I just snipped the very tip of the bag and drizzled chocolate over the top.

I hope you try these. They are really good and this recipe makes a ton! You can easily get 5 or 6 gifts out of one batch. Enjoy!!

Homemade Butterfingers!! Crispy peanut butter center covered in chocolate!

 

Mr. Wonderful loves Butterfinger and I thought “Why not try to make them? They can’t be too hard to make.” Wow, I was so wrong. I couldn’t get any of the recipes I saw online to work. I had 4 batches of mistakes. So, I tried my own version and I think I got it! I have tried it several times to make sure it wasn’t a fluke and I got great results every time. I hope you do too!
 
What you will need for Butterfingers:
· 1 cup of White Sugar
· 1/3 cup of Light Corn Syrup
· 1/3 cup of Water
· 1 ¼ cup of Creamy Peanut Butter
· Milk Chocolate Candy Melts for the Coating
 
Tools you will need:
· 2 quart saucepan with a lid
· A Candy Thermometer
· A microwave safe bowl
· A wooden spoon
· An oven safe pan
· Non-stick spray
· A pizza cutter or a knife (I found the pizza cutter works best)
· A fork or Dipping tool
· Silpat or Wax paper
 
Steps:
1) Spray your pan with non-stick spray (or rub with a little oil). Place in the oven on the lowest setting. You just want it a little warm.
2) Combine sugar, corn syrup and water in your saucepan. Place the pan with the lid ON over medium heat for 5 minutes.
3) Once the 5 minutes are up, remove the lid and raise the temperature to medium high heat. Place the candy thermometer in the saucepan. No need to stir!
4) While the sugars cook, place the 1 ¼ cup peanut butter in a bowl and microwave for 20 seconds. You want your peanut butter to be in a liquid stage. If you need to, heat for another 10 seconds.
5) Now, back to the sugar! You want your mixture to reach 290 degrees. Now, here is the trick. Subtract 2 degrees for every 1000 feet above sea level you live. I subtract 10 degrees (so, I went to 280 degrees). Yes, I live with the mountain goats!
6) Get your pan out of the oven.
7) The second it reaches 290 degrees (-2 for every 1000 feet), remove from the heat. Stir in the peanut butter as quickly as possible. Be careful! The sugar is super hot!
8) Pour the mixture onto the heated pan.
9) Score the mixture with a pizza cutter that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Try to have even sizes. I didn’t even come close!

I have pieces missing. Mr. Wonderful couldn’t wait any longer!

10) Allow the mixture to cool and dry overnight.
11) Now, they are ready for chocolate! I used Milk Chocolate Candy Melts. Follow the instructions on the back of the package or follow mine.
12) Place the Butterfinger pieces in the chocolate one at a time and pull them out with your fork. Be sure to tap off the excess chocolate. Place on your Silpat or Wax paper.

13) I did a little design with chocolate and a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off.

Enjoy them! I’ve been told that they are even better than a Butterfinger. I hope you get the same results!

Do you have a favorite candy you want to know how to make?  Leave a comment and I will do my best to make it for you!!!

 

Mr. Wonderful loves Butterfinger and I thought “Why not try to make them? They can’t be too hard to make.” Wow, I was so wrong. I couldn’t get any of the recipes I saw online to work. I had 4 batches of mistakes. So, I tried my own version and I think I got it! I have tried it several times to make sure it wasn’t a fluke and I got great results every time. I hope you do too!
 
What you will need for Butterfingers:
· 1 cup of White Sugar
· 1/3 cup of Light Corn Syrup
· 1/3 cup of Water
· 1 ¼ cup of Creamy Peanut Butter
· Milk Chocolate Candy Melts for the Coating
 
Tools you will need:
· 2 quart saucepan with a lid
· A Candy Thermometer
· A microwave safe bowl
· A wooden spoon
· An oven safe pan
· Non-stick spray
· A pizza cutter or a knife (I found the pizza cutter works best)
· A fork or Dipping tool
· Silpat or Wax paper
 
Steps:
1) Spray your pan with non-stick spray (or rub with a little oil). Place in the oven on the lowest setting. You just want it a little warm.
2) Combine sugar, corn syrup and water in your saucepan. Place the pan with the lid ON over medium heat for 5 minutes.
3) Once the 5 minutes are up, remove the lid and raise the temperature to medium high heat. Place the candy thermometer in the saucepan. No need to stir!
4) While the sugars cook, place the 1 ¼ cup peanut butter in a bowl and microwave for 20 seconds. You want your peanut butter to be in a liquid stage. If you need to, heat for another 10 seconds.
5) Now, back to the sugar! You want your mixture to reach 290 degrees. Now, here is the trick. Subtract 2 degrees for every 1000 feet above sea level you live. I subtract 10 degrees (so, I went to 280 degrees). Yes, I live with the mountain goats!
6) Get your pan out of the oven.
7) The second it reaches 290 degrees (-2 for every 1000 feet), remove from the heat. Stir in the peanut butter as quickly as possible. Be careful! The sugar is super hot!
8) Pour the mixture onto the heated pan.
9) Score the mixture with a pizza cutter that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Try to have even sizes. I didn’t even come close!

I have pieces missing. Mr. Wonderful couldn’t wait any longer!

10) Allow the mixture to cool and dry overnight.
11) Now, they are ready for chocolate! I used Milk Chocolate Candy Melts. Follow the instructions on the back of the package or follow mine.
12) Place the Butterfinger pieces in the chocolate one at a time and pull them out with your fork. Be sure to tap off the excess chocolate. Place on your Silpat or Wax paper.

13) I did a little design with chocolate and a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off.

Enjoy them! I’ve been told that they are even better than a Butterfinger. I hope you get the same results!

Do you have a favorite candy you want to know how to make?  Leave a comment and I will do my best to make it for you!!!

Peanut Butter Fudge!! Oh yeah!

 

Mr. Wonderful brought me my favorite candy on earth, Peanut Butter Fudge. But only one piece!! How could he be so cruel to only bring one piece to his pregnant wife! Just Kidding. It was super sweet, but I wanted more. So, of course I had to make some! I have had this recipe for over a decade. I have no idea where I got it. But, it is good. Oh, so good. I have plans to make Fudge Pops with this recipe later. Oh yeah, fudge on a stick!!
What you need:
· ½ cup softened Butter (if your butter is cold, put it in the microwave for a few seconds)
· 2 ¼ cup Brown Sugar
· ½ cup Half and Half
· ¾ cup Creamy Peanut Butter (have this measured and ready to go)
· 1 teaspoon of Vanilla
· 3 ½ cup Powdered Sugar
 
Tools you need:
· 2 quart saucepan
· Mixing Bowl
· Mixer (stand or hand mixer is fine
· A 9 x 13 pan (Spray it with cooking spray). I use the Perfect Brownie Pan Set
.
 
Steps:
1) Melt butter over medium heat. I know I said to have already softened butter. Why? If you add cold butter to the pan to melt, the pan will be too hot when you add the other ingredients. Plus, some of your butter may burn by the time the whole ½ cup melts. Tip: USE REAL BUTTER!
2) Add Brown Sugar and Half & Half to pan. Stir to combine. This may take a minute or two.
3) Bring to a boil. Still stir to make sure nothing on the bottom is burning.
4) Allow to boil for two minutes. While you are waiting, add the powdered sugar to a heat proof mixing bowl.
5) Remove from heat and add Vanilla and Peanut Butter. Stir to combine. Be quick with this step.
6) Once combined, pour the cooked mixture into the mixing bowl with the Powdered Sugar. Use your mixer to combine until smooth.
7) Pour into a greased pan. Place in the refrigerator to chill until firm.
8) Cut and serve! Enjoy!!!

 

Mr. Wonderful brought me my favorite candy on earth, Peanut Butter Fudge. But only one piece!! How could he be so cruel to only bring one piece to his pregnant wife! Just Kidding. It was super sweet, but I wanted more. So, of course I had to make some! I have had this recipe for over a decade. I have no idea where I got it. But, it is good. Oh, so good. I have plans to make Fudge Pops with this recipe later. Oh yeah, fudge on a stick!!
What you need:
· ½ cup softened Butter (if your butter is cold, put it in the microwave for a few seconds)
· 2 ¼ cup Brown Sugar
· ½ cup Half and Half
· ¾ cup Creamy Peanut Butter (have this measured and ready to go)
· 1 teaspoon of Vanilla
· 3 ½ cup Powdered Sugar
 
Tools you need:
· 2 quart saucepan
· Mixing Bowl
· Mixer (stand or hand mixer is fine
· A 9 x 13 pan (Spray it with cooking spray). I use the Perfect Brownie Pan Set
.
 
Steps:
1) Melt butter over medium heat. I know I said to have already softened butter. Why? If you add cold butter to the pan to melt, the pan will be too hot when you add the other ingredients. Plus, some of your butter may burn by the time the whole ½ cup melts. Tip: USE REAL BUTTER!
2) Add Brown Sugar and Half & Half to pan. Stir to combine. This may take a minute or two.
3) Bring to a boil. Still stir to make sure nothing on the bottom is burning.
4) Allow to boil for two minutes. While you are waiting, add the powdered sugar to a heat proof mixing bowl.
5) Remove from heat and add Vanilla and Peanut Butter. Stir to combine. Be quick with this step.
6) Once combined, pour the cooked mixture into the mixing bowl with the Powdered Sugar. Use your mixer to combine until smooth.
7) Pour into a greased pan. Place in the refrigerator to chill until firm.
8) Cut and serve! Enjoy!!!

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Crunch Truffle Filling! So many candy options with this filling!!

I have a friend that is gluten intolerant and I wanted to make her a treat.  But what can I make???  Cookies, cupcakes and even rice cereal (this was before Rice Krispies came out with a gluten free version.) treats are out of the picture!  So, I thought of this mixture to be the filling for so many different treats!  And it is super easy too! 

What you will need:  2 ½ cups of Rice Chex cereal,  1 cup creamy peanut butter,  ½ cup powdered sugar and ¼ cup honey

First, you need 2 ½ cups of Rice Chex.  Turn it into the smallest crumb possible (I used a small food processor).  You should get a cup of crumbs.  (Like my chex equation?  Can you tell I’m a math teacher?!?)

Next, mix the crumbs with one cup of creamy peanut butter, ½ cup powdered sugar and ¼ cup honey.

The end result should hold together easily when you roll it into balls.   If it’s too soft to form into a ball, add up to ¼ cup more powdered sugar.

Look for my post on using this filling to make Jack O' Latern Truffle pops!

I have a friend that is gluten intolerant and I wanted to make her a treat.  But what can I make???  Cookies, cupcakes and even rice cereal (this was before Rice Krispies came out with a gluten free version.) treats are out of the picture!  So, I thought of this mixture to be the filling for so many different treats!  And it is super easy too! 

What you will need:  2 ½ cups of Rice Chex cereal,  1 cup creamy peanut butter,  ½ cup powdered sugar and ¼ cup honey

First, you need 2 ½ cups of Rice Chex.  Turn it into the smallest crumb possible (I used a small food processor).  You should get a cup of crumbs.  (Like my chex equation?  Can you tell I’m a math teacher?!?)

Next, mix the crumbs with one cup of creamy peanut butter, ½ cup powdered sugar and ¼ cup honey.

The end result should hold together easily when you roll it into balls.   If it’s too soft to form into a ball, add up to ¼ cup more powdered sugar.

Look for my post on using this filling to make Jack O' Latern Truffle pops!