Crispy Peanut Butter Bars

 

When looking for something to feed Kyle this past week, I couldn't go past these bars. They incorporate one of his favourite ingredients (peanut butter), they presented my first chance to bake from a new cookbook, and they didn't require the use of the oven (a positive in 30 plus degree heat). These bars combine textures and flavours in the best ways possible and are delicious eaten chilled from the fridge.

 

 

Peanut butter crispy bars (adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking)

 

Cooking spray

1 3/4 cups puffed rice cereal

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup castor sugar

3 tbsp, plus 1/2 tsp glucose syrup

3 tbsp butter, melted

140g milk chocolate

1 cup peanut butter

85g dark chocolate

4 tbsp butter

1. Spray the sides of a 20cm square tin (with removable base if possible) with cooking spray.
2. Put the cereal into a bowl and set aside.
3. Put water into small saucepan. Add the castor sugar and 3 tbsp glucose syrup, ensuring that neither touch the sides of the pan. Stir until just combined. Add a candy thermometer to the pan and cook over medium-high heat until mixture reaches soft ball stage, or 115 degrees Celsius. Remove from heat. Working quickly, stir in melted butter before adding the mixture to the cereal. Coat the cereal in the mixture and use your hands to press it into the base of the prepared tin. Allow to cool.
4. Add milk chocolate and peanut butter to a heatproof bowl. Set over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until melted. Pour over crispy cereal layer and refrigerate for 1 hour.
5. Add dark chocolate, 1/2 tsp glucose syrup and 4 tbsp butter to a heatproof bowl. Set over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until melted. Pour over chocolate peanut butter layer and refrigerate for 1 hour.
6. Remove from pan and cut into 16 squares. Refrigerate until serving.