Caramel Peanut Crunch Recipes

Steps:

• Line a 10cm x 20cm loaf tin with non-stick baking paper.
• Place the dates, peanut butter and vanilla in a food processor and process for 2-4 minutes or until the mixture comes together into a paste. Transfer to a large bowl, add the puffed rice and peanuts and mix to combine. Using the back of a spoon, press the mixture into the base of the tin (see note).
• Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (the bowl shouldn't touch the water) and stir until melted. Pour the chocolate over the slice and spread evenly. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes or until set. Remove the slice from the tin and cut into bars using a hot knife. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Do Ahead
• Keep bars refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Steps:

• In a very large heat-proof bowl, combine the popcorn, cereal and almonds; set aside. In a large heavy-duty saucepan, melt butter; stir in corn syrup and brown sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. , Remove from the heat. Stir in baking soda. (Mixture will foam up and get lighter in color.) Carefully pour over popcorn mixture; stir to coat evenly., Transfer to two 15x10x1-in. baking pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 250° for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight containers.

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a small saucepan, cook the coconut sugar, honey, brown rice syrup and peanuts over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until a candy thermometer registers 290 degrees F, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the popcorn and pretzels to a large heatproof bowl. Pour the sugar mixture over the popcorn and pretzels, and quickly stir to coat. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, spreading out the caramel corn. Sprinkle with salt and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large (or two smaller) cookie sheet completely with foil. Cover the bottom of the sheet with baking parchment - on top of the foil. This is very important since the mixture becomes sticky during baking.
• Line the bottom of the cookie sheet evenly with the matzohs, cutting extra pieces, as required, to fit any spaces.
• In a 3-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the butter or margarine and the brown sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil (about 2 to 4 minutes). Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and pour over the matzoh, covering completely.
• Place the baking sheet in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350°. Bake for 15 minutes, checking every few minutes to make sure the mixture is not burning (if it seems to be browning too quickly, remove the pan from the oven, lower the heat to 325°, and replace the pan).
• Remove from the oven and sprinkle immediately with the chopped chocolate or chips. Let stand for 5 minutes, then spread the melted chocolate over the matzoh. While still warm, break into squares or odd shapes. Chill, still in the pan, in the freezer until set.
• This makes a good gift.
• Variation:
• You can also use coarsely chopped white chocolate (or a combination of white and dark), and chopped or slivered toasted almonds (sprinkled on top as the chocolate sets). You can also omit the chocolate for a caramel-alone buttercrunch.

Steps:

• Put popcorn (popped from 1/2 cup kernels) and peanuts in a large buttered bowl; set aside. Follow recipe for basic caramel, reducing sugar to 1 1/4 cups (do not reduce water). Remove caramel from heat, and use a clean wooden spoon to gently stir in butter and salt (caramel will bubble); stir until smooth. Pour caramel over popcorn, stirring to coat. Stir mixture every few minutes until cool. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 250 degrees. Spray two rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine popcorn and peanuts. In a medium saucepan combine butter, sugar, molasses, and salt over medium high until butter has melted. Stir once to combine. Bring mixture to a boil without stirring until the temperature reaches 248 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in baking soda.
• Working quickly, add caramel to popcorn and peanuts and stir to coat. Transfer mixture to 2 baking sheets, spread out evenly, and bake until crisp, 15 minutes, stirring halfway through. Let cool completely. Break into clusters.

Steps:

• Whisk the cream with the vanilla until just starting to stiffen. In a separate bowl, beat the peanut butter with the icing sugar to slacken, then fold the peanut butter mixture and the crushed banana chips into the cream. Tip into a container and chill in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
• To serve, paint a stripe of salted caramel sauce over two large plates, then scatter the stripe with the crushed brittle.
• Using a dessert spoon, scoop the parfait into an oval shape (a quenelle) and sit it on one side of the plate. Top the parfait with a standing row of three banana chips, then serve.

Steps:

• For caramel sauce:
• Place cream in small saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring just to simmer. Mix in butter and sea salt; set vanilla cream aside.
• Stir sugar, 1/3 cup water, and corn syrup in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, brushing down sides with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in vanilla cream (mixture will bubble). Set sauce aside.
• For pie:
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 9-inch-diameter pie dish with foil. Finely grind graham crackers and brown sugar in processor. Add butter and vanilla; blend until moist crumbs form. Add nuts; blend just until finely chopped. Using plastic wrap as aid, press crumbs firmly onto bottom and up sides of foil-lined pie dish. Freeze 15 minutes.
• Bake crust until brown, about 15 minutes. Freeze 1 hour. Using foil, lift crust from dish; carefully peel off foil. Return crust to pie dish. Drizzle 1/2 cup caramel sauce over bottom of crust. Freeze 30 minutes. Spoon 1 1/2 pints ice cream into crust; smooth top. Drizzle 3 tablespoons peanut butter over, then 2 tablespoons sauce. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup brittle. Freeze 1 hour. Spoon remaining 1 1/2 pints ice cream over; smooth top. Drizzle 2 tablespoons peanut butter over, then 2 tablespoons sauce. Sprinkle edge of pie with 1/2 cup brittle. Freeze 4 hours. DO AHEAD: Pie can be made 3 days ahead; tent with foil and freeze. Cover and chill remaining sauce.
• Cut pie into wedges. Rewarm sauce and pass separately.