Chocolate + peanut butter + Caramel = Mmmm. What a TRIumph this easy tray bake is. Make sure you give it a TRY.
Do you, like me, have those “I-must-eat-something-sweet” moments? (Well, they’re probably longer than a moment.) If so, here’s a great answer: a bar with a scrumptious peanut butter & salted caramel mid-layer, sandwiched between a chocolate biscuit base and a swirly triple chocolate topping. It’s guaranteed to meet those cravings head on and overcome them.
Makes: 16 medium squares
Time: 30 – 40 minutes
Level: Easy
Equipment: A 20cm/8” square tin, buttered and lined with baking parchment
Ingredients
Base
- 300g/10oz bourbon biscuits
- 100g/3.5oz – 125g/4.5oz butter, melted
- 20g/0.75oz golden caster sugar (optional)
- 20g/0.75oz cocoa powder (also optional)
Mid-layer
- 397ml tin of Caramel or Dulce de leche*
- 100g/3.5oz – 125g/4.5oz smooth peanut butter
- 50g/1.75oz salted peanuts, ground finely
Topping
- 300g/10oz – 350g12oz chocolate (dark or milk or a combination, maybe some white too)
- Around 30g/1oz salted peanuts or/and sprinkles
*Or you could make your own caramel as follows: Put 100g butter, 100g soft brown sugar & a tin of condensed milk (397ml) in a saucepan. Warm and stir until the sugar has all dissolved then boil for 5 – 6 minutes. Add a tsp vanilla extract. Stir and cool, then use. (You probably won’t need it all. Of course you could just slap it on and go for an extra thick, extra yummy layer. If so well done, I like your style.)
Method
1. In a food processor, whizz the biscuits to breadcrumb consistency (or bash in a bag with a rolling pin.) Don’t bother washing the processor yet – whizz the peanuts into smaller pieces and set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, over a medium/low heat. Pour over biscuit crumb mixture and mix fully (with the sugar and cocoa powder, if using). Tip this into the lined tin and spread evenly, pressing it down firmly. (A plastic dough scraper is ideal for this.)
3. Spoon the caramel into a medium bowl and beat lightly with a fork just to loosen it. (or give it one or two very short blasts in the microwave.) Mix in the peanut butter and the finely ground peanuts. Pour or spoon this mixture over the base and level it. Place back in the fridge for 20 minutes at least.
4. Use a bain marie or the micro wave to melt the chocolates in separate bowls.
5. Pour or spoon lines or blobs of each chocolate over the mid-layer then use a cocktail stick to swirl them into a nice pattern. Add salted peanuts or/and sprinkles. Pop it all back in the fridge for a while then cut into pieces and enjoy.
Retired Bloke on Food n stuff 