Home Made Butterfinger Candy

I have always really liked Butterfinger candy bars.  The crunchy, flaky, peanut buttery candy that sticks in your teeth...covered in soft chocolate...yum.  So, when I found a recipe for homemade Butterfinger candy here, I knew I had to try it out.  Fast.  Like, this is an emergency my life will stop for the next 30 minutes while I make this candy.  And I did.  And it was delicious.  Happily similar to the commercial version, except better, and made by me.  It is already on my schedule to make again (not the "oh, I'll have to make that again sometime" schedule, but the "I will make that on this Friday" schedule).  After I had eaten enough of this to be embarrassing, I chopped up the rest and mixed it with vanilla ice cream.  Because mixing it into homemade vanilla ice cream will prevent me from eating it?  And will definitely make it have fewer calories?  I never said I was rational under the influence of Butterfinger.

Homemade Butterfinger Candy

1 cup smooth peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup milk chocolate or semi sweet chocolate chips(I like to combine them half and half)

Grease an 8 inch square pan, then set aside.  In a small microwaveable bowl, combine the peanut butter, vanilla, and salt, then set aside.

In a medium size saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water.  Try to remove any grains of sugar stuck to the sides of the pan, by using your fingers or a wet pastry brush.  Over medium-high heat, cook the sugar mixture until it reaches 300F, using a candy thermometer, or if you don't have one, use an instant read thermometer.  While the sugar syrup is cooking, gently warm the peanut butter in the microwave for about 30 to 45 seconds, then keep it warm.  

Once the sugar syrup has reached 300F, add the peanut butter mixture to the sugar syrup and stir quickly to combine.  DO NOT OVERSTIR!  The mixture should be very shiny and should spread easily into the pan.  Once combined, transfer the candy mixture to the prepared pan.  Let cool for about 5 minutes on a wire rack (the pan will be very hot!).  After the candy cools for about 5 minutes and the top is firm, sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top and let sit for several minutes.  The heat from the candy will melt the chocolate.  You can then spread the chocolate evenly over the candy (I find that the back of a spoon works very well).  Refrigerate for about 45 minutes, or until the chocolate is set on top.

Once the candy has set up completely, turn it out onto a large cutting board, using a butterknife to help pry it out if it won't come out on its own.  Cut the candy into pieces.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy