Shelly's Recipe

Payday Peanut Clusters

Category: Candy

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons margarine
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour*
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 Payday candy bars (1.85 ounces each)
12 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup salted peanuts

Directions:


1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray an 8" square baking pan with vegetable spray. In a bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine butter, margarine, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, and egg. In another bowl, combine flour, soda, baking powder and salt. Add to peanut butter mixtures and stir to combine.
2. Press dough into prepared pan and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until center is set and edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool.
3. Cut Payday candy bars lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/2" pieces. Place on top of peanut butter crust.
4. Place milk chocolate into a medium bowl. Microwave heavy cream on high for two minutes or until it boils. (Watch carefully so it does not overflow.) Pour over chopped chocolate and let stand 30 seconds. Stir until chocoalte is compeltely melted. Pour over candy bar pieces to cover crust completely. Spread chocolate to edges using an offset spatula.
5. Sprinkle top with cocktail peanuts and cool completely until chocolate is firm, placing in refrigerator, if necessary. Cut into small squares and serve.

Tips:
*I used fun size Payday bars. Eight fun-size are equal to 4 regular size bars.
*Don't use natural peanut butter for the crust. It will turn out oily.
*I used all butter.

*The bars are much, much easier to cut and benefit from about 15 minutes in the freezer.
*Keep the bars either in the fridge or someplace cool so the ganache doesn't melt.
*The recipe says it makes 20 bars, but I think they're better when they are bite-sized.