She Strengthens

The Ultimate Halloween Candy Bar Makeover: Introducing Snickles

A Peanut Butter Lover’s Dream Come True

Get ready to indulge in a spooky twist on the classic Snickers bar. Our Halloween version, dubbed Snickles, boasts a chewy, fluffy peanut nougat center, smothered in rich milk chocolate and topped with a layer of salty peanut caramel. These treats are sure to disappear faster than a ghost on Halloween night!

Special Equipment Needed

Before diving into this recipe, make sure you have the following special equipment at your disposal:

• Electronic kitchen scale for precise ingredient measurements
• Tape measure for cutting evenly sized bars
• Candy thermometer for monitoring nougat and caramel temperatures
• Silicone pastry brush for preventing caramel crystallization
• Chocolate thermometer for tempering the chocolate shell
• Poultry lifters for dipping the candy bar centers in chocolate

The Perfect Chocolate Coating

For a professional-looking finish, use high-quality couverture chocolate, which contains more cocoa butter than regular chocolate. We recommend E.Guittard 38 percent Cacao Milk Chocolate Wafers, available at specialty grocery stores or online. To ensure a smooth, glossy finish, temper the chocolate according to the instructions below.

Game Plan

To avoid tempering chocolate on a hot day, work in an air-conditioned space or schedule your chocolate tempering for a cooler part of the day. Chocolate behaves best in a room-temperature environment (mid-60s to low 70s). Once your chocolate is in temper, it stays there for only a short time, so have everything ready to go and work quickly.

Yield and Difficulty

This recipe yields 24 Snickles bars and is considered hard in terms of difficulty. The total preparation time is approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes, with 1 hour and 45 minutes of active time.

Ingredients

For the peanut nougat:

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 large egg white, at room temperature
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup natural crunchy peanut butter (no added sugar)

For the caramel:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups roasted salted peanuts
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the chocolate coating:

• 2 pounds milk chocolate couverture or coarsely chopped milk chocolate

Instructions

Peanut Nougat

1. Line a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a few inches of overhang on each side.
2. Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in a small saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer and place over medium-high heat.
3. Stir mixture until sugar completely dissolves.
4. Beat egg white in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form.
5. Slowly pour hot syrup into the egg white mixture, avoiding the whisk.
6. Continue mixing until nougat pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
7. Stir in peanut butter until thick and spongy.
8. Pour nougat into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

Caramel

1. Combine all ingredients except peanuts and vanilla extract in a heavy-bottomed 4-quart saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer and place over medium-high heat.
2. Stir mixture until sugar completely dissolves.
3. Boil mixture, swirling pan occasionally, until syrup reaches 248°F.
4. Remove from heat and stir in peanuts and vanilla extract.
5. Pour caramel mixture over nougat and spread evenly.

Chocolate Coating

1. Temper chocolate according to the instructions below.
2. Dip each candy bar center into tempered chocolate, covering caramel side with more chocolate.
3. Remove excess chocolate by tapping fork(s) against the edge of the bowl.
4. Place Snickles on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let set at room temperature.

Tempering Chocolate

1. Fill a large bowl with 2 inches of cold water and add 3 to 4 ice cubes.
2. Bring a saucepan filled with 1 to 2 inches of water to a simmer over high heat; once simmering, turn off heat.
3. Place 1 1/2 pounds of chocolate in a dry heatproof bowl and set over the saucepan.
4. Stir until chocolate reaches 118°F.
5. Remove bowl from saucepan and add remaining 1/2 pound chocolate.
6. Stir until all chocolate is melted and cools to 80°F.
7. Return bowl to saucepan and stir until chocolate reaches 86°F.
8. Remove from heat and test if chocolate is properly tempered.

Tips and Storage

• Trim excess chocolate from edges of candy bars before storing.
• Store Snickles in an airtight container for up to three weeks in the refrigerator or up to two months in the freezer.
• Let come to room temperature before serving.

Get ready to indulge in these spooky treats and make your Halloween party a hit!