“Snickers” Bar… Salted Peanuts, Nougat, Milk Chocolate and Caramel

I have been feeling as if I am in an “inspiration transition” period. I suppose it is very much like how I feel about my wardrobe in between seasons. Eager to wear sweaters and coats at the end of summer, although the weather is not quite cool enough yet. The same happens to me with food. There are still plenty of apricots, plums and currants to bake with, yet I am dreaming of chestnuts, quince, pears, apple cider and figs. In cases like these, I always turn to chocolate and nuts. So versatile and timeless.

This is a rendition to one of C’s favorite candy bars, the Snickers bar. Poor thing has been working non-stop for the last two weeks on a project away from home and I really wanted to make something comforting for him. He really deserves a little break and a little treat.

It is a crunchy, chewy and creamy bar with milk chocolate, peanut butter and rice krispies crust, a layer of salted peanut nougat, milk chocolate bavarian and topped with caramel cream. I knew the nougat would start to melt after being in the freezer, but in a way that made this easier to eat since a hard nougat would have made it difficult to bite into.

Milk Chocolate Feuilletine Crust

135 grams feuilletine or corn flakes or rice krispies
300 grams creamy peanut butter
155 grams milk chocolate, melted

Cream together the feuilletine and the peanut butter for about 3 minutes until it starts to turn into a paste. Add the melted milk chocolate and mix until combined. Spread this on the bottom of a half sheetpan lined with parchment and topped with a square frame.

Salted Peanut Nougat

50 grams egg whites
5 grams powdered sugar, sifted
110 grams honey
400 grams sugar
85 grams glucose
150 grams water
200 grams salted and roasted peanuts, chopped

Start by combining the sugar, glucose and water in a medium saucepan. Cook to 144C.

In the meantime, start whipping the egg whites. When they are foaming, add the sifted powdered sugar and continue whipping. Quickly heat the honey to boiling point and pout the boiling honey into the bowl where the egg whites are whipping. Continue to whip on high speed.

When the sugar reaches the desired temperature, turn the mixer speed to low and add the sugar to the egg whites pouring slowly on the side of the bowl. When all the sugar has been added, turn the mixer speed to high and continue to whip until it slightly cools. We don’t want it to completely cool because we want to be able to spread it easily.

Turn the mixer off and fold in the chopped peanuts. Spread the nougat evenly into the metal frame over the milk chocolate crust.

Milk Chocolate Bavarian

120 grams half and half
10 grams sugar
2 egg yolk
4 grams gelatin
250 grams milk chocolate, finely chopped
200 grams heavy cream, soft peaks

In a small saucepan, bring the half and half to a boil. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar. Temper the hot half and half into the egg yolks and whisk. Pour this mixture back in the pan and cook for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and add the softened gelatin.

Strain the custard over the milk chocolate that we have finely chopped into a clean bowl. Let the custard melt the chocolate for a minute and then gently whisk until a cream is formed and all the chocolate has melted.

When the chocolate mixture has cooled to the touch, fold in the whipped cream. Immediatly pour the bavarian over the nougat and freeze.

Salted Caramel Cream

360 grams heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split
90 grams sugar
120 grams egg yolks
3 grams gelatin
1 grams fleur de sel

Bring the cream and the vanilla bean to a boil. Reserve.

In the meantime, make a dry caramel with the sugar. Deglaze the cooked sugar with the heated cream. Be careful because it will bubble overif all the cream is added at once. Whisk so all crystalized sugar has dissolved. Pour this caramel over the egg yolks and whisk. Return this to the pan and cook for 1 minute.

Add the softened gelatin and strain through a fine sieve. When it is cool to the touch, pour over the milk chocolate bavarian layer and freeze.