Caramel Peanut Nougat Bars Recipes

Steps:

• In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt white chocolate; stir until smooth. Stir in marshmallow creme and peanut butter. Let stand 5 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Roll into 3/4-in. balls., In another microwave-safe bowl, melt caramels with water; stir until smooth. Dip balls in caramel; allow excess to drip off. Roll in peanuts and place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Chill until firm. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• 1. Combine corn syrup, butter, vanilla, peanut butter and salt until creamy. Mix in the confectioners' sugar. When the mixture is very thick, press it into a lightly greased 9x9 inch pan. Refrigerate. Melt the caramels in a double boiler over hot water. When soft, mix in the peanuts. Pour over the mixture in the pan. Refrigerate. Melt the chocolate in a microwave oven set on high for 2 minutes. Stir halfway through cooking time. When the mixture in the pan is firm, cut it into 2x1 inch bars. Spear a bar on a fork and dip into the melted chocolate. Tap to knock off any excess drips. If you like, roll into finely chopped peanuts. Place on waxed paper to cool to room temperature.

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients; stir in butter. Set aside 1 cup for topping. Press remaining mixture into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. , In a heavy saucepan or microwave, melt caramels with cream, stirring often. Sprinkle chocolate chips and peanuts over the crust; top with caramel mixture. Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Steps:

• Butter a 9 1/2-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet or quarter sheet pan and line it with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the 2 long sides. Then butter the parchment.
• Whisk the flour, cornstarch, kosher salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine, scraping down the sides as needed. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat on low until the dough is just combined; do not overwork.
• Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, spreading it out as evenly as possible with a silicone spatula. Cover with plastic wrap, then use your hands to press and flatten the dough into a smooth even layer. Pull back the plastic wrap and use a fork to prick the dough all over. Cover again and refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.
• Uncover the dough and bake, rotating the baking sheet from front to back halfway through, until golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Combine the caramels and cream in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour the mixture over the shortbread and spread it evenly. Immediately sprinkle with the peanuts and a large pinch of flaky salt. Gently push down on the topping to make sure it sticks to the caramel. Let cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Use the parchment overhang to gently lift the shortbread and slide it onto a cutting board. Remove the parchment and cut into 24 squares. Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Steps:

• Make the peanut caramel:
• Line bottom and sides of loaf pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Lightly coat foil with nonstick spray.
• Gently stir sugar and 1/4 cup water in a large saucepan. Heat over medium and cook, brushing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush if needed and swirling pan gently (do not stir), until sugar is amber-brown, 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Carefully add cream in a steady stream, stirring with a silicone spatula (it will bubble up violently); if it looks like it may boil over, stop adding cream and stir to break up bubbles. Stir in butter until melted and smooth.
• Fit saucepan with candy thermometer and heat over medium. Cook, undisturbed, until mixture reaches 245°F (almost firm-ball stage). Immediately add peanuts and salt and carefully stir to combine. Quickly transfer peanut mixture to prepared pan and press into an even layer with a spatula. Let sit at room temperature until set, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Make the nougat:
• Beat egg whites in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed until soft peaks form. Meanwhile, fit a small saucepan with candy thermometer. Pour 1/2 cup water into saucepan, add sugar, and gently stir to combine. Heat over medium and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and continue to cook, brushing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush if needed and swirling pan gently (do not stir), until mixture reaches 255°F. Return mixer speed to medium, then add sugar mixture in a slow, steady stream to egg whites down side of bowl.
• Increase mixer speed to medium-high and continue to beat until bowl feels warm to the touch and mixture is thick, tacky, and opaque white, about 8 minutes. Add peanut butter and salt and fold gently with a spatula until incorporated.
• Scoop peanut butter mixture onto peanut caramel; gently press into an even layer. Let sit at room temperature until set, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Make the chocolate coating:
• Heat chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (bowl should not touch water), stirring, until melted. Remove from heat and, stirring constantly, add oil. Let cool, stirring occasionally, until chocolate firms slightly, about 10 minutes.
• Pour one-third of chocolate mixture over nougat; reserve remaining chocolate mixture at room temperature. Chill until set, at least 20 minutes.
• Cut a piece of parchment roughly the same size as top of loaf pan; press over set chocolate. Place a wire rack over pan. Holding pan and rack together, invert quickly. Remove pan, then peel off parchment. Set rack inside a rimmed baking sheet lined with waxed paper.
• Slowly pour reserved chocolate mixture over loaf; coat tops completely and let run down sides (use an offset spatula to coat sides completely if needed), pouring a little extra down center of bar. If you run out of chocolate mixture, carefully lift rack off pan, then remove waxed paper with chocolate drippings. Return rack to pan and pour chocolate drippings over. Chill until firm, about 45 minutes.
• Let sit at room temperature 10 minutes, then cut crosswise into 16-20 slices.
• Do Ahead
• Bar can be made 3 days ahead; loosely cover and chill.

Steps:

• Special equipment:.
• Heatproof spatula, candy thermometer.
• Spray a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches of overhang on each side.
• For the nougat:.
• Combine the peanut butter, vanilla and marshmallow cream in a large mixing bowl and reserve. Combine the sugar, cream and butter in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir with a heatproof spatula until the sugar dissolves. Fit the saucepan with a candy thermometer and continue monitoring until the mixture starts to turn a light amber color and the temperature reaches 250 degrees F, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Once your nougat hits 250 degrees F, remove from the heat and add to the marshmallow mixture. Mix together to completely combine, but don't overwork. The mixture should be light and fluffy. Turn out the nougat into the prepared pan and spread evenly with a rubber spatula coated in nonstick spray. Place in the refrigerator to cool and get going on your next layer, the caramel.
• For the caramel filling:.
• Add the sugar, cream and corn syrup to a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Carefully stir to combine with a heatproof spatula until the sugar dissolves and bring the mixture to a boil. Stop stirring and boil until the mixture begins to turn an amber color and reaches 250 degrees F, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, carefully, as it will foam up. (Adding the butter at the end will stop the cooking and keeps your caramel soft and chewy.) Keep stirring until it's all dissolved, and then stir in the peanuts. As tempting as it may be, never stick your finger in hot caramel to taste, sugar burns and hurts!
• Pour the caramel over the nougat and spread evenly with the spatula. Place in the refrigerator until the caramel is completely cool, 15 minutes.
• Transfer the candy to a cutting board. Cut lengthwise into thirds and then across in nine 1-inch rectangles, using a sharp knife that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. You can mark the caramel nougat with your knife as a guide before cutting out your bars.
• For the chocolate:.
• Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted and is smooth, 8 to10 minutes. Dip each candy piece and completely cover with chocolate on all sides, using two forks, allowing the excess to drip off. Place on a wire cooling rack for the excess to drip off while you dip all of the bars. Once the bars are dipped, transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and allow the chocolate to set in the fridge at least 20 minutes.
• Cook's Note:.
• Use a smaller baking dish for thicker candy bars.