Chocolate Peanut Butter Nougat Squares Recipes

Steps:

• Spray a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches of overhang on each side.
• For the nougat: Combine the peanut butter, vanilla and marshmallow cream in a large mixing bowl and reserve. Combine the sugar, cream and butter in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir with a heatproof spatula until the sugar dissolves. Fit the saucepan with a candy thermometer and continue monitoring until the mixture starts to turn a light amber color and the temperature reaches 250 degrees F, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Once your nougat hits 250 degrees F, remove from the heat and add to the marshmallow mixture. Mix together to completely combine, but don't overwork. The mixture should be light and fluffy. Turn out the nougat into the prepared pan and spread evenly with a rubber spatula coated in nonstick spray. Place in the refrigerator to cool and get going on your next layer, the caramel.
• For the caramel filling: Add the sugar, cream and corn syrup to a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Carefully stir to combine with a heatproof spatula until the sugar dissolves and bring the mixture to a boil. Stop stirring and boil until the mixture begins to turn an amber color and reaches 250 degrees F, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, carefully, as it will foam up. (Adding the butter at the end will stop the cooking and keeps your caramel soft and chewy.) Keep stirring until it's all dissolved, and then stir in the peanuts. As tempting as it may be, never stick your finger in hot caramel to taste, sugar burns and hurts!
• Pour the caramel over the nougat and spread evenly with the spatula. Place in the refrigerator until the caramel is completely cool, 15 minutes.
• Transfer the candy to a cutting board. Cut lengthwise into thirds and then across in nine 1-inch rectangles, using a sharp knife that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. You can mark the caramel nougat with your knife as a guide before cutting out your bars.
• For the chocolate: Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted and is smooth, 8 to10 minutes. Dip each candy piece and completely cover with chocolate on all sides, using two forks, allowing the excess to drip off. Place on a wire cooling rack for the excess to drip off while you dip all of the bars. Once the bars are dipped, transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and allow the chocolate to set in the fridge at least 20 minutes.

Steps:

• Make the peanut caramel:
• Line bottom and sides of loaf pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Lightly coat foil with nonstick spray.
• Gently stir sugar and 1/4 cup water in a large saucepan. Heat over medium and cook, brushing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush if needed and swirling pan gently (do not stir), until sugar is amber-brown, 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Carefully add cream in a steady stream, stirring with a silicone spatula (it will bubble up violently); if it looks like it may boil over, stop adding cream and stir to break up bubbles. Stir in butter until melted and smooth.
• Fit saucepan with candy thermometer and heat over medium. Cook, undisturbed, until mixture reaches 245°F (almost firm-ball stage). Immediately add peanuts and salt and carefully stir to combine. Quickly transfer peanut mixture to prepared pan and press into an even layer with a spatula. Let sit at room temperature until set, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Make the nougat:
• Beat egg whites in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed until soft peaks form. Meanwhile, fit a small saucepan with candy thermometer. Pour 1/2 cup water into saucepan, add sugar, and gently stir to combine. Heat over medium and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and continue to cook, brushing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush if needed and swirling pan gently (do not stir), until mixture reaches 255°F. Return mixer speed to medium, then add sugar mixture in a slow, steady stream to egg whites down side of bowl.
• Increase mixer speed to medium-high and continue to beat until bowl feels warm to the touch and mixture is thick, tacky, and opaque white, about 8 minutes. Add peanut butter and salt and fold gently with a spatula until incorporated.
• Scoop peanut butter mixture onto peanut caramel; gently press into an even layer. Let sit at room temperature until set, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Make the chocolate coating:
• Heat chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (bowl should not touch water), stirring, until melted. Remove from heat and, stirring constantly, add oil. Let cool, stirring occasionally, until chocolate firms slightly, about 10 minutes.
• Pour one-third of chocolate mixture over nougat; reserve remaining chocolate mixture at room temperature. Chill until set, at least 20 minutes.
• Cut a piece of parchment roughly the same size as top of loaf pan; press over set chocolate. Place a wire rack over pan. Holding pan and rack together, invert quickly. Remove pan, then peel off parchment. Set rack inside a rimmed baking sheet lined with waxed paper.
• Slowly pour reserved chocolate mixture over loaf; coat tops completely and let run down sides (use an offset spatula to coat sides completely if needed), pouring a little extra down center of bar. If you run out of chocolate mixture, carefully lift rack off pan, then remove waxed paper with chocolate drippings. Return rack to pan and pour chocolate drippings over. Chill until firm, about 45 minutes.
• Let sit at room temperature 10 minutes, then cut crosswise into 16-20 slices.
• Do Ahead
• Bar can be made 3 days ahead; loosely cover and chill.

Steps:

• Combine the cornstarch and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper with wings coming up a few inches off the sides. Spray it with cooking spray, then dust it with half of the cornstarch mixture. Set the pan and the rest of the mixture aside.
• Combine the honey, 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar and 1 3/4 cups water in a large saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer and stir to combine. Place over medium-high heat and cook until the mixture reaches 305 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, position a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment near the stove. Place the egg whites and salt in the bowl of the mixer.
• Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Reduce the speed to medium and beat in the remaining tablespoon granulated sugar. (Do this while keeping an eye on the honey so you don't burn it.)
• As soon as the honey reaches 305 degrees F, turn the mixer speed to medium-low and add it to the egg whites in a steady drizzle. Then turn the mixer to high and beat until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and spray a rubber spatula with cooking spray. Add the nuts to the mixture and fold with the sprayed spatula to combine. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. Press it into an even layer, then sprinkle on the remaining cornstarch mixture and let cool, a few hours. Use the parchment wings to remove the nougat to a board. Cut the nougat into 1-inch squares.
• Set up a sheet pan with a rack and set aside.
• Heat the semisweet chocolate with 1/2 tablespoon oil in a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until melted, 1 1/2 minutes total. Repeat with the ruby chips and remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil. Brushing off the excess powdered sugar from the top of each, dip half of the squares in the regular chocolate and half in the ruby chocolate, spooning some over the tops so that they are completely covered. Use a fork to remove the squares from the chocolate and place on the prepared rack. Sprinkle with sprinkles, if using. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set, about 10 minutes, or let set at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

Steps:

• Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Combine sugar, 1 cup corn syrup, molasses, and 3/4 cup water in a 6-qt. saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches 250. Meanwhile, put remaining corn syrup, vanilla, and egg white into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk. In a medium bowl, combine peanut butter, powdered milk, and confectioners' sugar and stir until smooth; set peanut butter mixture aside. When syrup reaches 235, begin to whip egg white mixture on high speed. Once the syrup reaches 250, remove pan from heat and let sit 1 minute. Reduce mixer speed to medium and carefully pour hot syrup into the center of the egg whites in a slow, steady stream. After all the syrup is added, increase speed to medium-high and beat for 4 minutes. Remove bowl from mixer and, using a rubber spatula, fold in peanut butter mixture gently but quickly until well combined. Transfer to prepared baking pan and smooth with a rubber spatula; let cool to room temperature. Remove nougat from pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 1" squares and set aside. Combine chocolate and shortening in a medium heat-proof bowl and set over a pot of simmering water. Heat, stirring often, until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Remove bowl from pot and let chocolate cool until an instant-read thermometer reads 89. Using two toothpicks or a candy dipping fork, dip a square of nougat into the chocolate, shake off excess coating, and place candy on a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper. Sprinkle squares with a small pinch of sea salt while chocolate is still liquid; repeat with remaining nougat squares, chocolate, and sea salt. If chocolate cools below 86, set the bowl over the pot of simmering water and heat, stirring constantly, until it returns to 89, then continue coating nougat squares. Let chocolate cool to room temperature and set before serving.

Steps:

• Line a 9-in. square pan with foil; grease foil with 1 teaspoon butter. In a microwave, melt remaining butter. Stir in confectioners' sugar, peanut butter and cracker crumbs. Spread into prepared pan., In microwave, melt topping ingredients; stir until smooth. Spread over top. Refrigerate until set., Using foil, lift out of pan. Cut into 1-in. squares. Store airtight in the refrigerator.