Pure Heaven!
Is there anyone who doesn’t love Snickers bars? I mean, really, what’s not to love. Vanilla flavored nougat studded with salty peanuts, covered with a layer of caramel and coated with chocolate. Oh my, I’m nearly drooling just talking about it. And it wasn’t Halloween without mini Snickers in our treat bags.
If you love Snickers bars, you are going to pass out when you taste this homemade version. They. Are. Amazing!! Run, don’t walk to the kitchen and make them. You don’t need an excuse or reason, just go do it! Even The Artist, who doesn’t really care for Snickers, told me that mine were good enough to sell. Oh my heavens, that is one heck of a compliment!
Making these candy bars today took me right back to my childhood, standing next to my grandmother Mimi at the stove, watching every move as she made pull taffy for my brothers and me. I learned why you had to be so careful around boiling sugar by a story from my aunt’s childhood.
Once when Mimi was making pull taffy for her own children, Aunt Marjorie couldn’t wait for the candy to be done. While her mother’s back was turned, she reached her little hand into the pan of boiling candy and grabbed a handful. It was hot (of course) so she quickly put it in her mouth to cool it off. She wound up getting second-degree burns on both her hand and mouth. Just hearing about this pain was enough to keep my hands down at my sides throughout the entire cooking process!
The progression of melting chocolate in the microwave: 1) un-melted chocolate & peanut butter; 2) microwave melted chocolate & peanut butter looks solid; 3) melted chips & peanut butter barely stirred; 4) a few stirs with a spatula & the remaining chips will melt in the residual heat.
My mother was a typical 50’s-era housewife. If it came out of a can or the freezer, she was thrilled. Cooking was not her passion, she would have much rather been in her garden tending the beautiful flowers she grew. Being a military kid (my father was a Captain in the Navy), I was always well behaved and attentive. But I was enthralled whenever Mimi cooked. She made everything from scratch, which fascinated me.
Mimi never used a candy thermometer. For her it was all about watching to see when the candy spun a thread and the consistency when a little was dropped in a bowl of cold water. And she never made a mistake! I cannot imagine not having the thermometer to make sure I take the candy off the heat at exactly the right moment, LOL.
Closeup of Homemade Snickers Bars
When I was growing up and well into my adult years I used a standard candy thermometer every time I made anything requiring careful measurement of temperature. These days I have converted to my handy dandy Thermapen because it is SO much more accurate and easy to use. Both work great, but the Thermapen can measure temperatures in all areas of your saucepan, letting you know if you have hotspots to watch out for! I know they are expensive, but I consider it a worthwhile investment in the success of my cooking and candy making projects! If you don’t have on already, put it on your birthday or holiday wish list. And don’t forget to say which color you prefer. You might just get one as a present!
Following in Mimi’s footsteps, I made my own caramel today, but not everyone is as comfortable with candy making as I am. If the thought of making caramel scares you silly, you can use store-bought caramels (the kind that come individually wrapped) and melt a 14 oz bag of them (unwrap first!) in a saucepan with 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream. Voila! The next best thing to homemade caramel sauce!
Most of the other versions of this candy you find on the web call for using milk chocolate for the top and bottom layers. The Artist and I prefer dark chocolate, so I used Guittard semisweet and it was heavenly. If you are making these for kids who want everything excessively sweet, definitely use milk chocolate. If you want something in between, use half semisweet and half chocolate – these are your candy bars, make them the way you love them!!
These bars are truly amazing and could be used to bribe people or pay your way out of a parking ticket – I’m kidding of course, but they are really THAT good! They would be absolutely perfect any time of the year, but must be kept in the refrigerator to keep the chocolate layers from melting. If you are transporting them, cut them at home and slip them back in the pan you made them in. Then keep them in a cooler so they don’t melt and serve them when you get to your destination.
The next time you have a bunch of kids coming over, are hosting a party, or just want a treat that is guaranteed to wipe out the worst of days, make these candy bars. I promise, the world will be a brighter place and people will be singing your praises!
Jane’s Tips and Hints:
If you don’t want to use a disposable aluminum pan to make your bars, you can use a regular 9×13-inch baking pan that is lined with foil long enough to drape over the ends and is well buttered. You can use the extra lengths of foil as handles to remove the candy from the pan. Run a knife along the edges that are not covered with foil to help release them before flipping the bars out of the pan.
Gluten-Free Tips:
These are naturally gluten-free, but always check the labels of every ingredient if you are Celiac or are cooking for someone with severe reactions to wheat and gluten.
- Layer 1 - Bottom Chocolate Layer
- 1-1/2 cups chocolate chips (milk or semisweet, or a combination)
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- Layer 2 - Nougat Layer
- 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup evaporated milk
- 1-1/2 cups (about one 7oz jar) marshmallow fluff or crème
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1-1/2 cups salted peanuts, roughly chopped, such as Planter’s Cocktail Peanuts
- Layer 3 - Homemade Caramel Layer
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Layer 4 - Top Chocolate Layer
- 1-1/2 cups chocolate chips (milk or semisweet, or a combination)
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- Using room temperature butter, thoroughly and completely butter a 9x13x2-inch pan. For the easiest removal, use a disposable aluminum baking pan that you can twist to pop the bars out of, making extra sure that all the nooks and crannies are well buttered.
- Make Layer 1/Bottom Chocolate Layer: In a saucepan over low heat or a heatproof bowl in the microwave, melt the chocolate and peanut butter together, stirring until smooth. If you are using the microwave, heat in 2 (30-second) bursts. Remove from the oven and stir until all the chips have melted. There is plenty of residual heat in the bowl.
- Pour into the prepared pan and spread to cover the bottom evenly. It may not seem as though you have enough, but there is plenty for a nice layer. Set aside to cool and harden completely.
- Set the bowl you used aside to be used again for the final top chocolate layer.
- Make Layer 2/Nougat Layer: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and milk; stir until dissolved and then bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the marshmallow fluff, peanut butter and vanilla; continue stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and fold in the peanuts. Pour over the bottom chocolate layer. Let cool completely.
- Make Layer 3/Caramel Layer: Do not start this layer until the nougat is quite firm. You will not have any leeway when this is done and ready to pour into your pan.
- In a heavy 4-qt saucepan, combine the sugar, brown sugar, butter, milk, whipping cream, and corn syrup. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted and the mixture comes to a boil. Try to stir carefully so that you don’t get any excess liquid on the sides of the pan.
- Attach a candy thermometer to the saucepan and continue cooking, without stirring, until the thermometer reaches the firm ball stage (about 248°F). The temperature will rise quickly at first and then take a long time to come to the final temperature, about 15 to 20 minutes total. Remove from the heat and standing back from the stove, carefully pour in the vanilla - be prepared that it will sputter and splash. Stir it in with a heatproof spatula.
- Pour the caramel over the nougat layer, smoothing until evenly distributed. Let cool and firm up.
- Make Layer 4/Top Chocolate Layer: In a saucepan over low heat or a heatproof bowl in the microwave, melt the chocolate and peanut butter together, stirring until smooth. Pour over caramel layer and set aside to cool and harden thoroughly.
- Place pan in the refrigerator and let cool for at least 1 hour before cutting into bars. Place a piece of parchment paper on the top of the pan and invert onto a cutting board. You may have to wiggle the edges to release the cold butter and candy, but eventually it will slip out of the pan. Using a disposable aluminum or silicone pan gives you more flexibility and makes release easier. Set a second piece of parchment on the candy and flip the block of candy back over. For the neatest presentation, take a very long carving knife and trim off the edges.
- Cut the bar into equal parts lengthwise. Cut each long piece into pieces about 2-inches long. If you like a softer, gooey, fudgey type of candy bar, serve these at room temperature. If you like them firmer, eat them straight from the refrigerator.
- Yield: 1 (9x13-inch) pan of candy; about 15 to 22 bars depending on the size you cut them.
- If you pour this caramel into its own buttered dish, you can cut them into homemade caramels. Just wrap individually in plastic wrap and you have bites of pure heaven!!
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Thank You!
mindy
totally agree! it looks way better than snickers bar and healthier.
munchkin
looks better than the snickers bar, many layers but worth it! what could I use instead of evaporated milk and corn syrup?