Peanut Caramels Food

PEANUT CARAMEL APPLES

Steps:

• Wash and dry apples.
• Insert stick into stem end of each apple and set aside.
• Place peanuts in a shallow bowl or pie pan and set aside.
• In a heavy saucepan, cook caramels, peanut butter and water over low heat until melted and blended, stirring frequently.
• Remove from heat (you may have to return to heat if mixture starts to set up).
• Dip and turn each apple in caramel mixture, coating most of the way up.
• Allow excess to drip into pan.
• Dip apples in peanuts and place on a waxed paper lined baking sheet or into paper cupcake liners.
• Store in a cool place or refrigerate.
• Remove from refrigerator 20 minutes before serving.

PEANUT CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease and flour 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Sift together dry ingredients including flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the shortening, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Beat mixture until smooth then add the peanut butter. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the caramel squares with whipping cream for about 1 minute. Add the caramel mixture to the batter and mix well. Pour the batter evenly into the pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto on a wire rack until completely cool.
• Sprinkle chopped peanuts in between the layers and place on a freezer safe plate. Ice cake with caramel icing. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Place the cake back onto the wire rack with a cookie sheet underneath to catch the ganache. Pour the ganache over cake the cake, coating completely and allow to dry before placing on a serving plate. Garnish as desired while ganache is still wet.
• Melt almond bark or chocolate in a double boiler. Heat whipping cream in microwave for 45 seconds. Pour whipping cream and corn syrup into melted almond bark or chocolate until completely mixed.

SALTED CARAMEL PEANUT 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.

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 BUTTER, CARAMEL AND ALMOND BARS

Steps:

• Combine sugar, cracker crumbs, peanut butter, 1 cup nuts and melted butter; press onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray.
• Cook caramels and water in saucepan on low heat 5 min. or until caramels are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring constantly. Pour over crust.
• Cook chocolate and remaining butter in separate saucepan 4 to 6 min. or until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently. Spread over caramel layer. Immediately sprinkle with remaining nuts; press gently into caramel layer with back of spoon. Refrigerate 1 hour or until caramel layer is firm.

CARAMEL PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butters, sugars egg and vanilla in a large bowl at medium speed until creamy. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt in a small bowl and then add to the creamed mixture.
• Stir in the chocolate chips (or chocolate chunks) the quartered caramel pieces, and the chopped nuts until combined.
• Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased or parchment lined baking sheet.
• Silicone sheets would be better too, because the caramel when baking makes them stick.
• Bake 375 degrees for 8 to 12 minutes.
• Cool on the sheet, then remove to a wire rack.