Chocolate Caramel Candy
Originally published as Chocolate Caramel Candy in Taste of Home December/January 1998, p25. This dazzling treat tastes like a Snickers bar but has homemade flavor beyond compare. When I entered it in a recipe contest at our harvest festival, it won five ribbons, including grand prize and the judges special award.
Originally published as Chocolate Caramel Candy in Taste of Home December/January 1998, p25. This dazzling treat tastes like a Snickers bar but has homemade flavor beyond compare. When I entered it in a recipe contest at our harvest festival, it won five ribbons, including grand prize and the judges special award.
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
- filling:
- icing:
- caramel layer:
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon mccormick(r) pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup butterscotch chips
- 1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme
- 1 1/2 cups chopped salted peanuts
- 14 ounce package caramels
- 1/4 cup butterscotch chips
- Carbohydrate 6.51273309403972 g
- Cholesterol 3.20344392489164 mg
- Fat 2.75066257588132 g
- Fiber 0.288166667920203 g
- Protein 0.900738269473457 g
- Saturated Fat 1.34171291677765 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (18g)
- Sodium 598.590291257985 mg
- Sugar 6.22456642611952 g
- Trans Fat 0.194114790348846 g
- Calories 53 calories
Step-by-step
- Line a 13x9-in. pan with foil; butter foil with 2 teaspoons butter and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine milk chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and peanut butter; stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Spread into prepared pan. Refrigerate until set.
- For filling, in a small heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add sugar and milk; bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook and stir 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in marshmallow creme, peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Add peanuts. Spread over first layer. Refrigerate until set.
- For caramel layer, in a small heavy saucepan, combine caramels and cream; stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Cook and stir 4 minutes. Spread over filling. Refrigerate until set.
- For icing, in another saucepan, combine chips and peanut butter; stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Pour over the caramel layer. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Remove from the refrigerator 20 minutes before cutting. Remove from pan and cut into 1-in. squares. Store in an airtight container.
- Yield: about 8 dozen.
Rushing the chilling time between layers remains the single most common error cooks commit when building multi-tiered confections. Warm layers blend into one another, destroying the distinct strata required for proper texture. Patience during the refrigeration phases guarantees clean separation between the base, nougat filling, caramel, and chocolate topping.
Scaling and Structural Integrity
Multiplying or reducing the batches requires strict adherence to pan dimensions if the final product height is to remain consistent. Using a standard 13x9-inch pan ensures each of the four layers maintains the correct depth for stability when cut into one-inch squares. Altering the pan size without adjusting ingredient quantities changes the thermal mass, which directly affects how long the dairy-heavy mixtures take to set. Heavy-bottomed saucepans distribute heat evenly, preventing the scorching that frequently ruins butter and sugar mixtures during the five-minute boiling phase. Buttering the foil-lined pan thoroughly creates a release agent that allows the massive slab of candy to lift out cleanly after its overnight rest. Allow the chilled block to sit at room temperature for exactly twenty minutes before slicing with a long, thin blade dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts.
- Grease the foil thoroughly with two teaspoons of butter so the base lifts out without tearing.
- Stir the sugar, butter, and milk mixture constantly over medium-low heat for five minutes to dissolve the crystals completely.
- Chill the assembled block for at least four hours to let the fats solidify before portioning.
