Salty-sweet peanut squares: A double whammy
Peanuts: We love them, devour them by the handful, and cheerfully forgive them for claiming to be something they’re not (a legume rather than a nut). They’re found in recipes for everything from appetizers to desserts and add something special to almost every dish.
This peanut bar cookie is a good example; it boasts a buttery, brown-sugar crust embracing a caramel-like layer flavored by peanut butter chips and topped by honey-roasted and salted peanuts — a double-peanut whammy made even better by the addictive play between sweet and salty tastes. They get two thumbs up every time I serve them, and some fans note a welcome similarity to PayDay candy bars.
The squares are made in three quick steps: Make and bake the crust, make and add the filling, and then slip the pan back in the oven for a final bake. The corn syrup called for is not high-fructose corn syrup, which I avoid using.
DOUBLE WHAMMY PEANUT SQUARES
Total time: 80 minutes; make in an 8-by-8-inch shiny metal baking pan
For the crust:
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (half a stick) For the peanut layer:
⅓ cup light Karo corn syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup plus ⅓ cup peanut butter chips
5 ounces honey-roasted and salted peanuts (one cup), coarsely chopped
Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, with a rack in the center position. Line the baking pan with nonstick aluminum or regular aluminum foil, extending it several inches on opposing sides of the pan to use as handles when removing the baked cookie. Grease any exposed parts of the pan and the regular foil (if using) with a baking spray that contains flour. Set the pan aside.
Make the crust: With a food processor, put the flour, brown sugar and salt in the bowl, and pulse to combine them well. Cut up and add the butter, then pulse until moist curds occur. The mixture will look dry and crumbly at first; keep pulsing until the butter softens and creates curds. Stop before the dough smooths out.
If using a mixer instead, soften the butter and beat it with the brown sugar at medium speed until combined. Add the flour and salt and beat again until the dry ingredients are thoroughly moistened but stop before a smooth dough is formed.
For both methods, dump the dough into the prepared pan and, gently pressing through a sheet of plastic wrap, level and smooth it.
Bake the crust: Bake until the crust is set and the edges start to color, 15-20 minutes. If the dough puffs while baking, prick the puff with a fork or toothpick to let the air escape and gently press it down. Remove the pan from the oven and place on a rack to cool for about 15 minutes while you make the peanut layer.
Make the peanut topping: Put the corn syrup, butter and peanut butter chips in a medium saucepan. Place it over medium-low heat and stir constantly until the butter and chips melt and the mixture is smooth and shiny. Remove from the heat and pour over the crust (which may still be warm). Spread it evenly to the edges of the crust with an offset spatula and sprinkle the chopped honey roasted peanuts over it, lightly pressing them into the topping.
Bake again: Bake until there are bubbles around the edge of the topping, around 15 minutes.
Cool and store: Remove to a rack. Wait 20-30 minutes, then use the foil handles to remove the cookie block from the pan, gently turn down the sides of the foil, and let the cookie block cool completely. If you aren’t serving the bars immediately, refrigerate, covered, for three days or freeze for about six weeks. Cut into squares while cool or after defrosting.
This is a variation of a recipe in The Good Cookie by Tish Boyle.
Vera Dawson is a high-elevation baking instructor and author of three high-altitude cookbooks (available at Garcia Street Books in Santa Fe). Contact her at veradawson1@gmail.com.