HOMEMADE CANDY BARS:
NOTHING IS BETTER
You can show your family and friends that you truly care about them by giving them your own homemade chocolate candy bars.
Just as a side note, of course, the happy recipients are certain to be impressed — stunned, actually — and grateful.
Why grateful? Because these things are truly, truly good.
“Your Snickers are better than actual Snickers,” said one taste tester.
“Your Twix are better than actual Twix,” said another.
I made homemade knockoffs of several popular chocolate candy bars. As is so often the case, homemade is better than the commercial versions, or at least as good. But I have to admit that, in this case, homemade is also more expensive and more time-consuming than going to the local 7-Eleven and grabbing a Kit Kat bar.
Except Kit Kat bars. Making your own Kit Kat bars is surprisingly fast and easy and cheap.
There are two secrets. Secret No. 1 is important — nearly necessary — for making any candy bar at home: Don’t use regular chocolate; use chocolate candy coating. Chocolate, after it melts and hardens, turns brittle and fails to adhere to whatever you are trying to coat. Candy coating, on the other hand, is softer and makes the perfect exterior for any confection.
You can find chocolate candy coating, also called melting wafers, in the baking aisle of most grocery stores (Wilton and Baker’s are popular brands). You can get the same effect by tempering regular chocolate, but it takes a long time and requires a fairly high degree of precision. For home cooks, I don’t recommend it.
Secret No. 2 only concerns Kit Kat bars: They are ridiculously easy. You know those sugar wafers you can get at any store? Dip them in melted chocolate candy coating. Congratulations, you have Kitty Kat bars.
When you give these to your friends and relations, and their children, be sure to save a couple for yourself.
Kitty Kat Bars Yield: 18 servings
18 sugar wafers
10 ounces chocolate candy coating or tempered chocolate
Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Melt chocolate in a microwave or double boiler, stirring frequently, until smooth. Use forks or a dipping tool to dunk each wafer in the chocolate, covering it completely and place on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes. These bars may be stored in an airtight container for 1 week.
Per serving: 121 calories; 7 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; no cholesterol; 1 gram protein; 14 grams carbohydrate; 12 grams sugar; 1 gram fiber; 19 milligrams sodium; 23 milligrams calcium.
— Recipe from thespruce.com
Nutterfingers Bars
Yield: 20 servings
1 cup chunky peanut
butter
3⁄4 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups granulated sugar 1⁄2 cup water
3⁄4 cup light corn syrup 16 ounces chocolate candy coating or tempered chocolate Line a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, and spray with nonstick spray. Combine the peanut butter, baking soda and vanilla in a bowl, and set aside.
Place the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and stir in the corn syrup. Insert a candy thermometer.
Continue to cook the syrup, boiling without stirring, until the temperature reaches 300 degrees. Immediately remove it from the heat and quickly stir in the peanut butter mixture, mixing until it is smooth. Immediately pour into the prepared baking pan and spread it to the edges.
Allow to sit for 2 minutes, then use a large knife to score into about 20 candy bars. Allow to set at room temperature for 4 hours or overnight.
Melt the chocolate candy coating or tempered chocolate in a microwave or double boiler, stirring frequently until smooth. Cool slightly for 5 minutes; meanwhile, line a baking sheet with foil.
Using 2 forks or dipping tools, dunk each bar in the melted chocolate and place on the foil-lined sheet. Refrigerate for 10 minutes to set. Bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Per serving: 332 calories; 16 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; no cholesterol; 5 grams protein; 47 grams carbohydrate; 46 grams sugar; 2 grams fiber; 122 milligrams sodium; 42 milligrams calcium
— Recipe from thespruce.com
Almond Happiness Bars
Yield: About 14 servings
5 ounces (1⁄2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) sweetened, condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
2 cups powdered sugar 14 ounces shredded,
sweetened coconut 1⁄2 cup whole almonds,
toasted
24 ounces chocolate candy coating or tempered chocolate Line a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, and spray it with nonstick spray.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the condensed milk, vanilla and salt. Gradually sift in the powdered sugar, stirring, until it is thoroughly incorporated. Add the coconut, and stir until the mixture is well-combined.
Press this mixture into the prepared pan in an even layer. You may not use the whole pan if you prefer a thicker coconut candy. While the candy is still soft, press the whole almonds into the tops at even intervals to embed them slightly in the candy. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.
Peel away the foil and use a sharp knife to cut the candy into small rectangles.
Melt the chocolate candy coating in a microwave or double boiler, stirring frequently, until smooth. Using dipping tools or two forks, dunk each coconut bar completely in the chocolate,
allow excess chocolate to drip off, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate until set, 15 minutes. These bars may be stored in an airtight container for 1 week.
Per serving: 542 calories; 30 grams fat; 24 grams saturated fat; 5 milligrams cholesterol; 6 grams protein; 69 grams carbohydrate; 64 grams sugar; 6 grams fiber; 196 milligrams sodium; 123 milligrams calcium
— Recipe from thespruce.com
Peanut Butter Cups
Yield: 24 servings
24 mini cupcake papers (the size of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup) 8 ounces (1⁄2 of a 16-ounce
jar) peanut butter
3⁄4 cup powdered sugar 2 tablespoons melted
butter
24 ounces chocolate candy coating or tempered chocolate Lightly coat cupcake papers with nonstick spray and set in muffin tins (you can use a baking sheet, but the bars won’t keep their shape as well). Put peanut butter in a bowl and sift in the powdered sugar; stir in the melted butter. Melt chocolate candy coating in microwave or a double boiler, stirring occasionally until smooth.
Spoon about half of the melted chocolate into the cupcake papers, coating the bottom and sides (you can use your impeccably clean finger to coax the chocolate up the sides). Refrigerate until set, 5 to 10 minutes.
Pipe or spoon about 2 teaspoons of the peanut butter mixture into the center of each chocolate cup, keeping each dollop away from the edges. Dampen your finger with water and press down on the peanut butter to flatten it a bit, keeping it away from the edges.
Spoon the remaining melted chocolate over each cup to cover the peanut butter. Refrigerate for 30 minutes until set. These candy bars can be kept in an airtight container for a week.
Per serving: 236 calories; 17 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 3 milligrams cholesterol; 4 grams protein; 22 grams carbohydrate; 22 grams sugar; 2 grams fiber; 55 milligrams sodium; 42 milligrams calcium. — Adapted from onegoodthingbyjillee.com
Resolution Breaker Bars
Yield: 20 servings
24 ounces chocolate candy coating or tempered chocolate 1⁄3 cup peanut butter,
creamy or chunky 1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow creme or fluff
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 tablespoons butter
1 cup granulated sugar 1⁄4 cup evaporated milk 14 ounces soft caramels,
unwrapped
1 1⁄2 cups roasted, salted peanuts
Line a 9- by 13-inch pan with aluminum foil. Melt the candy coating, and spread a very thin layer on the foil, perhaps 1⁄2 cup in total. This will keep the nougat from sticking and make the bars easier to dip. Refrigerate the pan to set the coating while you prepare the rest of the filling. The bowl of melted coating will keep at room temperature.
Combine the peanut butter, marshmallow creme and vanilla extract in a bowl, and set aside. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter with the sugar and evaporated milk, stirring frequently until the sugar dissolves.
Bring the mixture in the pot to a boil, and boil for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. After 4 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and immediately add the peanut butter mixture, stirring quickly until thoroughly mixed; it should be light beige and fluffy.
Scrape the peanut nougat on top of the chocolate layer in the pan, and spread it into a smooth, even layer. Refrigerate the pan to cool the nougat while you prepare the caramel layer.
Place the unwrapped soft caramels in a microwave-safe bowl and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cream or water, depending on how soft the caramels are (use 2 tablespoons if they are fairly stiff). Microwave the caramels in 30-second bursts until melted, stirring after every interval. Add the salted peanuts, and stir until they are completely coated with caramel.
Spread the caramel in an even layer on top of the peanut nougat. Refrigerate to set the caramel, about 45 minutes.
Remove the candy from the pan using the foil as handles. Use a large sharp knife sprayed with nonstick spray to cut the candy into about 20 bars. Check on your candy coating: if it has started to set, microwave it again until it is smooth and fluid.
Use forks or dipping tools to dip each candy bar in the coating until completely covered, then tap the fork against the lip of the bowl so excess coating drips off. Set the dipped bars on a sheet of wax paper to cool and harden completely, or put them in the refrigerator to speed the process. These bars will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 1 week.
Per serving: 428 calories; 22 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 2 milligrams cholesterol; 7 grams protein; 57 grams carbohydrate; 50 grams sugar; 3 grams fiber; 177 milligrams sodium; 91 milligrams calcium.
— Recipe from
ohnuts.com
Twicks Bars
Yield: 20 servings
11 tablespoons (1 stick plus 3 tablespoons) butter, softened
1⁄2 cup granulated sugar 2 cups cake flour or 1 3⁄4
cups all-purpose flour 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
22 ounces soft caramels,
unwrapped
2 to 3 tablespoons heavy
cream
16 ounces chocolate candy coating or tempered chocolate Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13- by 9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, and spray with nonstick spray.
Beat butter and sugar together with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. And flour and salt, and mix on low speed just until flour is incorporated. Scrape dough into the prepared pan, and use your impeccably clean hands to press it into a thin, even layer. Bake until lightly golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes, turning pan halfway through. Do not overcook. Allow to cool completely.
Combine caramels and cream in a microwave-safe bowl, using 2 tablespoons of cream if the caramels are soft and 3 tablespoons if they are stiff. Microwave until melted and smooth, stirring after every 30 seconds. Pour the melted caramel over the shortbread cookie crust, and smooth into an even layer. Refrigerate to set the caramel completely, about 1 hour.
Melt the chocolate candy coating in a microwave or double boiler, stirring frequently, until smooth.
Remove the caramel-covered crust from the pan, using the foil as handles, and then peel off the foil. Use a large, sharp knife to cut about 10 finger-width strips along the long edge, then cut in half for a total of 20 bars.
Use dipping tools or forks to dip the bars in melted chocolate, covering them completely, and place on a tray lined with foil or wax paper. Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes. These bars may be kept for 1 week at room temperature in an airtight container.
Per serving: 460 calories; 21 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 23 milligrams cholesterol; 5 grams protein; 69 grams carbohydrate; 52 grams sugar; 2 grams fiber; 198 milligrams sodium; 106 milligrams calcium.
— Recipe from thespruce.com