Peanut Butter Marshmallow Candy

Merry Christmas! Too soon? It is December, so, for me, it’s Christmas all month long!

I wanted to kick off this holiday baking month with some “candy” that my mom makes each year for Christmas. Traditionally, my mom makes these with a thick peanut butter crust and a layer of chocolate on top. I added some homemade marshmallows between those two layers to kick it up a notch, to turn my moms PB Candy into PB Fluff Candy! Or could we call it S’mores Candy?

Let’s stick with PB Fluff—bring back some of those happy childhood times when you would open your lunchbox up to a peanut butter and fluff sandwich!

Anyways, let’s stop being sidetracked by childhood nostalgic moments...

Each year for Christmas, my mom will make at least two pans of this incredible candy. Usually, it will go out as gifts with some other homemade breads and cookies, wrapped in adorable tins with snowmen on them, spreading endless cheer. Other times, my brothers and I will eat so much that we get stomachaches, but it’s worth it.

First off, who doesn’t love peanut butter?!(—another nut butter can be substituted!) But peanut butter. You can eat it by the spoonful, you can put it on toast, you can eat it by the spoonful, you can cover fruit in it. Yeah, endless possibilities, and you can turn it into a thick, wonderfully sinful crust that you will eat 10 pieces too many of. Sounds magical, huh?

Want some homemade marshmallows on top? This recipe from over the summer is OH so simple, and makes this candy that much more fabulous. Final piece of this delicious puzzle? A melted butter and chocolate glaze—as you know peanut butter and chocolate ARE a match made in dessert heaven!

While this may not be coated in candy canes or be a cute little gingerbread man that you can decorate with icing and sprinkles, this is such a fabulously tasty peanut butter fluff candy that can be given as gifts, enjoyed at holiday parties, or just quietly eaten in the corner with a fork…

I would say go ahead, make a batch, but I think that saying make three batches is going to be your safest bet—you will not want to run out of this candy at any point during this absolutely magical month of December!

ingredients

Butter (melted)—12 oz, or 1 ½ C

Peanut Butter—17.5 oz, or 2 C

Confectioner’s Sugar—22.5 oz, or 4 ½ C

Graham Cracker Crumbs—1.5 oz, or ½ C

Oats—4.5 oz, or 1 ¼ C

Marshmallows—Recipe found here, or 1 bag (fluff can be used, too!)

Butter—4 oz, or ½ C

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips—12 oz, or 2 C

process

In a large bowl, combine the 12 oz of melted butter, peanut butter, confectioner’s sugar, graham cracker crumbs and oats.

Mix until a dough forms.

Press into the bottom of a 9” x 13” pan.

Next, whether you have decided to just use store bought marshmallows, or my homemade marshmallow recipe (super simple!), layer this on top next.

This homemade marshmallow recipe will take only about 20-25 minutes to make. It’s so quick and easy, and who won’t be impressed by them??!

In a heatproof bowl, melt together the 4 oz or butter and chocolate chips either in your microwave or over a double boiler.

Once melted and mixed, pour over your marshmallows.

Allow to set and cool.

Cut and enjoy!

Bon Appétit!

Sweet and Salty Buttercrunch

As Halloween is quickly approaching and I have stuffed my face with enough candy corn, M&M’s and Reese’s Cups for at least a large family, I decided that enough is enough—I must make my own Halloween candy!

For some reason, holiday candy seems to taste that much better to me than if I was to buy the same exact thing at any other time during the year. Something about the packaging, how the stores are decorated, the bite sized candies, really gets me! Since moving into our new apartment that is actually in a neighborhood with potential trick-or-treaters, I figured that there was the possibility of having kids stop by (but who am I kidding, children won’t come into our apartment building…). With the disappointment of not being able to have a creepy candy bowl filled with all sorts of goodies—tootsie rolls were always my weakness—I thought why not have a jar filled with some homemade buttercrunch toffee to munch on well before and after this costume filled evening.

This candy is oh so simple and about 100x more delicious. Butter, sugar, water and a little bit of vanilla (substitute in some bourbon for an adult appropriate Halloween treat) are what make up this sweet and crunchy bite. What else is so great about this homemade candy? You can top it with whatever you choose! Whether leaving it au natural or dressing it up, your taste buds will thank you. To be honest, it is Halloween, where dressing up is pretty magical (minus ages 18-22), so why not give your buttercrunch some flair as well! Covered with melted chocolate, sprinkled with cinnamon, salt and toasted pepitas, your candy has a pretty tasty costume!

While the days of being part of Josie and the Pussycats, a gypsy or Baby Spice are long gone, I would say my adult celebration of homemade candy, a Punkin Ale and a thriller with my fiancé is a pretty great trade!

ingredients

Butter—4 oz, or 1 stick

Sugar—4 oz, or ½ C

Water—0.75 oz, or 2 TBL

Salt—pinch

Vanilla Extract—0.15 oz, or 1 tsp

Chocolate, 70%—2 oz

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds—½ C

Salt—1 TBL

process

In a small saucepan, melt the butter.

Add in the sugar, water and salt; stir.

At medium heat and while constantly stirring, cook your toffee until it reaches 295˚ F.

Remove from the heat and add in your vanilla.

*To make this toffee a little unique, replace the vanilla with an equal amount of bourbon!*

Pour onto a sheet pan that has been lined with parchment or a silpat.

Spread quickly with a spatula and allow to set.

Once the candy has set, blot with a towel to pick up any oil that has come to the surface.

Make a double boiler using a small saucepan filled with water and a heat proof bowl.

Place your chocolate in the bowl and, over low heat, melt the chocolate.

I like to use a dark chocolate between 70%-80% to cover this candy. The toffee is so wonderfully sweet, that a darker chocolate gives balance to the end result.

Once the chocolate has melted, pour over your toffee and spread with an offset spatula.

Sprinkle with salt and toasted pumpkin seeds! (To toast the seeds, spread on a sheet pan and put in an oven set at 300˚ F for about 8-10 minutes.)

Once the chocolate has set, break apart the toffee in large or small random sized pieces and enjoy!

Bon Appétit!