Friday, March 20, 2015

My Homemade Butterfingers Experiment!


Homemade Butterfingers!

As soon as I tasted my Chocolate Dipped Peanut Brittle the flavor reminded me of a Butterfinger candy bar. I knew right away these had to happen!

You've no doubt seen many versions of these on the web. Most of them call for candy corn. Well, to be honest, I've not tried those recipes..but I wanted a crunchy bar, and apparently I'm not the only one. The recipes I found for the crunchy ones are very similar to brittle recipes.

So..I took my peanut brittle recipe and followed it almost exactly by substituting peanut butter for the peanuts. 
Complete and Total Disaster. Oh my.. the terrible smell of burnt peanut butter permeating my sweet kitchen. Fail.

Onto batch number two.
I decided to go with the flow and add the peanut butter at the end of the cooking time. This would have gone smoother had I melted my peanut butter first. It still worked but it took me longer to incorporate it and then get the candy poured and cut before setting up.

It would also have helped if I had warmed the pan in the oven as I did with my brittle. 

When I cut into the candy, the first 3 cuts were easy. I just had to score the rest, which is why my bars ended up uneven. 

Final conclusions to my experiment are:
1. Melt peanut butter and add last.
2. Warm parchment lined pans while cooking candy.
3. Cut candy as soon as you pour it. Sets up fast.

My candy was a hit!
Lots of Butterfingers lovers in my family and this got a big thumbs up. 

We have success!

I'm a happy candy maker.   :o)
Ingredients needed.
 With peanut butter..really..you just can't go wrong!
 Heavy bottomed 4 quart saucepan and non-stick spray.
  Tools needed.
 Combine sugar, water and corn syrup and stir cooking over medium heat.
 Nice and bubbly.
When candy reaches 300 degrees, remove from heat and stir in vanilla, baking soda and peanut butter.
Quickly pour candy onto warm parchment lined pan.
I pressed candy flat with spatula lightly sprayed with non-stick spray.
Cut quickly and let set till cool.
 You can totally forgo dipping these in chocolate and just eat plain. I loved them like this!
 Flakey, crunchy, yummy layers.
Oh yes and yum go right here!
 Dip and set!

Homemade Butterfingers

2 cups sugar (i used Wholesome Sweeteners organic)
1/2 cup water (i used bottled Fiji)
1 cup light corn syrup (i used Karo)
3 tablespoons salted butter (i used Horizon organic)
1 teaspoon vanilla (i used 365 organic)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (i used a new container of Arm & Hammer)
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter (i used Skippy natural)
1 12 ounce bag Ghirardelli dark wafer melts

Measure out all your ingredients and have your candy thermometer and all tools in place before you begin making your candy.

Melt peanut butter on low heat in small saucepan keeping warm until ready to add at the end of cooking time. Place your parchment lined pan in a 200 degree oven to warm as you prepare the candy.

Combine sugar, water and corn syrup in a 4 quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat and bring to a boil stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Attach candy thermometer and stir frequently. When thermometer reaches 250 degrees, stir in butter. Cook while continuing to stir until temperature reaches 302 (i was shooting for 300, but just missed it) degrees. Remove from heat and immediately stir in baking soda and vanilla and peanut butter mixing well. 

Pour out onto parchment lined pan and use a long metal spatula lightly sprayed with non-stick spray (or something similar) to press mixture evenly. Cut candy immediately. Resist the urge to photograph these steps as your candy sets up..like crazy quick. *wink*

Let candy cool. Melt your dipping chocolate and dip candies. Place on parchment lined pan to set up. Commence to eating and sharing your sweet creation and listen for the Mmmmmms!

Thank You for stopping by
Sugartown Sweets!

Comments and New Members Keep My Life Sweet!

4 comments:

  1. Looks like you got it just right. The layers look perfect inside the bar. You mention above to melt the peanut butter then in the instructions you say to warm the peanut butter and in the picture it doesn't look melted. How would you recommend warming it?

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    1. Thank you Beth..and oops! I should have said melted instead of warmed. In my experiment, I did not melt the peanut butter which is why I think my candy set up just a bit too quick before I could cut all of it completely through. I would just melt it on low heat in a saucepan so it's ready to add at the end of the cooking time. I will have to go back and edit my recipe. Thanks again Beth! :o)

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  2. ok melted or warmed peanut butter, these look AWESOME Karen! and i am soooo making some cuz dang i need these instead of yucky candy corn! ;)

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    Replies
    1. Haha..thank you Lisa! Be prepared cause these are peanut buttery addictive! ;)

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