Peanut Toffee Bars

Peanuts + Toffee + Chocolate.  Why didn't I think of this cookie earlier?  I've been making a pecan variation of this cookie for several years now, and it is one of Scott's favorites.  It never crossed my mind to use peanuts until I was flipping through a cookbook called The Cookie Jar that I bought a few years ago at the Book Barn in Niantic, CT. 

Perhaps you've seen a cookbook like it before--it is one of those 1970s gems that has green and black ink only, aside from a few photographs scattered throughout.  The book has tons of cookie recipes crammed in its 80 pages, one of which is a bar cookie that has a peanut butter crust.  When I saw the recipe,  it reminded me of the pecan toffee bars that Scott likes so much, and I decided to make him a peanut variation.  I took the best parts of both recipes, made a few changes, and got to work.  The resulting cookies are sweet and crunchy.  I really like them, but then again, I tend to like most peanut butter and chocolate combinations, so perhaps I'm a little biased...

Notes:
I use unsalted peanuts because it makes it easier to control the saltiness of the cookies. I don't preheat the oven until I'm finished preparing the crust because the crust dough needs to rest in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes prior to baking.  If your oven is slow to preheat, turn it on earlier.  I used whole milk for the toffee, but I've used skim milk in the past with good results, so just use whatever kind you have.  If you place the finished bar in the refrigerator to quickly set the chocolate, allow the bar to rest for a few minutes before you cut it.  Otherwise, the toffee will be hard and it will be difficult to cut the bars so that they have clean edge.

Adapted from the Joy of Cooking Christmas Cookies and The Cookie Jar

Crust Ingredients:
¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup crunchy peanut butter
½ cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour, sifted

Toffee Ingredients:
⅓ cup unsalted butter
½ cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon milk
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups unsalted dry-roasted peanuts, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping Ingredients:
¾ cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips or chunks
2 tablespoons finely chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

Yields 24 1x2⅔ bars or 42 1x1½ bars

Make the Crust:
Line an 8x8-inch pan with a piece of foil, leaving a two-inch overhang on two of the sides.  Cream together the butter and peanut butter, then add the light brown sugar and the vanilla, and beat until the mixture is fluffy.  Add the flour all at once, and beat until no more flour streaks remain.  The mixture will be crumbly, but will hold together when pinched between two fingers.  Dump the peanut butter mixture into the prepared pan and spread it out over the pan using a spatula.  Use the bottom of a measuring cup to gently press the crust into the pan so that it is in a smooth, even, and compacted layer.  You may need to use your fingers to compact the crust at the edges and corners of the pan.  Set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350°F.  At the same time, place the crust in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to chill.  After the crust has chilled, place it in the oven, and bake for 10 minutes at 350°F until it is set and looks dry.  Set aside to cool slightly. 

Make the Peanut Toffee:
Once the crust has been baked, prepare the peanut toffee.  In a saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, honey, milk, and salt, and bring them to a boil over medium heat, stirring regularly.  Once the mixture reaches a boil, continue boiling for 2 minutes stirring constantly, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the peanuts and vanilla.  Pour the toffee mixture over the baked crust, and spread it out evenly using a spatula.  Bake it for 17-20 minutes or until the toffee is golden brown and bubbling.  Remove from the oven, and set the pan on rack to begin cooling.

Top It:
Once the toffee has stopped bubbling, but while it is still warm, sprinkle the chocolate over the top so that the heat of the crust and toffee can melt the chocolate.  When the chocolate has melted, use an off-set spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the chocolate evenly over the crust and toffee.  While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle it with the finely chopped peanuts.  Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature, or if you are in a rush, loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator or freezer until the chocolate is set. 

Cut It:
Once the chocolate is set, use the foil overhang to lift the large bar onto a cutting board.  If it has been in the refrigerator of freezer, allow the bar to sit for a few minutes before cutting so the toffee warms up and is easier to cut.  Using a sharp knife, cut the large bar into twenty-four 1x2⅔ bars or forty-two 1x1½ bars.  Double check the bars to make sure that there is no foil remaining on the bottom.  Store the cookies in an airtight container.  Pin It