Crunchy Peanut Clusters Food

CRUNCHY CANDY CLUSTERS

Steps:

• Place candy coating in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Add peanut butter. Stir in extract if desired. , In a large bowl, combine the cereals and marshmallows. Add the peanut butter mixture and stir until the cereal mixture is well coated. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper. Let stand until set. Store at room temperature.

CRUNCHY PEANUT CLUSTERS

Steps:

• In 4-quart saucepan, melt candy coating over medium heat, stirring frequently. Stir in peanut butter until mixture is smooth. Add remaining ingredients, stirring until completely coated.
• Drop mixture by heaping teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper or cookie sheet; sprinkle with colored sugar. Let stand until firm, about 1 hour. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

CRUNCHY PEANUT CARAMEL NOUGAT CANDY BAR

Steps:

• 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.

PEANUT RAISIN CLUSTERS

Steps:

• Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, stirring frequently. When melted, remove from the heat and mix in the peanuts and raisins. Drop the mixture by the spoonful onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat, or pour into a buttered loaf pan lined with plastic wrap. Let set at room temperature until firm and completely cooled. If using a loaf pan, cut up into squares. Store in an airtight container.

PEANUT BUTTER CLUSTERS

Steps:

• In microwave safe bowl, melt peanut butter chips and chocolate chips, stir until smooth.
• Stir in peanuts and potato chips and drop by level tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper-lined baking sheets.
• Refrigerate until firm. Store in airtight container.

PEANUT AND RAISIN CLUSTERS

Steps:

• Melt chocolate in top part of double boiler over boiling water (You may just do in a pan over low heat if you don't have double boiler).
• Add condensed milk and salt.
• Cook for 10 minutes, or until thickened, stirring constantly.
• Add raisins and nuts.
• Drop by tablespoonfuls onto wax paper.
• Refrigerate until firm.
• Makes bout 20 clusters.

CRUNCHY NUT CLUSTERS

Steps:

• Line 4 miniature muffin pans with candy cups; set them aside. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the coconut and nuts on separate cookie sheets. Bake each until golden brown, about 9 minutes for the nuts and 10 for the coconut, stirring every few minutes to keep them from burning. Let them cool.
• Combine the toasted coconut and nuts in a medium-size bowl. Melt the chocolate chips -- white or semisweet -- in the microwave according to the package directions. Add the melted chocolate to the coconut mixture; stir well. Drop the mixture by heaping teaspoonfuls into the candy cups. Chill until set, about 45 minutes.
• Melt the remaining chocolate according to the package directions. Pour the contents into a ziplock bag. Snip off a small corner of the bag, then drizzle the chocolate over the clusters. Chill until the glaze is set, about 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

NO BAKE CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER CLUSTERS

Steps:

• Grab a large cookie sheet and cover in wax paper or parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, gently mix together cereal, peanuts, and marshmallows. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, add peanut butter and almond bark (make sure that almond bark is broken up into smaller chunks).
• Place peanut butter and almond bark in microwave for 90 seconds. Stir, then place back in microwave for 30 seconds. Continue to cook and stir peanut butter and almond bark mixture at 15 second intervals until smooth and completely melted.
• Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal mixture in the large bowl.
• Using a large wooden spoon, gently mix together until all cereal, peanuts, and marshmallows are completely coated in melted peanut butter mixture.
• Using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, scoop large spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet. If desired, top with sprinkles.
• Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours to set up completely (or place in the fridge for about 30 minutes to set up faster).