It's awfully out of character for the Steelers' defense to tack on their first takeaway of the season in week 6, but better late than never! I was just as glad to see that it was one of my favorites, Ryan Clark, who came up with the first interception against the Jets on Sunday afternoon - and don't forget Lawrence Timmons who made the second one!
Back in July, we made the Ryan Clark Bar Ice Cream Pie, and boy was it yummy. I wanted to create another unique dessert in honor of Clark's interception that also incorporates the iconic Pittsburgh candy bar. I thought: "Sure, there are cookies and brownies and cupcakes that would all be swell with the peanut buttery candy mixed in... but what if I actually make a Clark Bar??" (That is, a Ryan Clark Bar.) It seemed to be in the spirit of the Stiller Snacks blog to make a candy bar from scratch, so I did some research and gave it a try.
I found a variety of recipes out there in Blog Land for homemade Butterfinger bars, which lead me to ask, "What is the difference between a Butterfinger and a Clark Bar?" As far as I can tell, Clark Bars are coated with 100% real chocolate and the peanutty center contains molasses, whereas Butterfingers are coated with what someone on the Internet refers to as "mocklate" and contains some less-than-desirable ingredients (yellow #5, red #40 and TBHQ?). Sorry Butterfinger, you're yummy too, but we're going with a more natural list of ingredients for our homemade candy bars.
Full disclosure: this recipe turned out more like chocolate-covered peanut brittle rather than having the flaky consistency of a true Clark Bar, but they are definitely delicious.
Ryan Clark Bars
Recipe adapted from Detoxinista
1/4 tbsp butter
1 cup honey
3/4 tbsp molasses
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 cups dry roasted peanuts, honey roasted or unsalted (I used 1 cup of each)
2-3 cups milk chocolate morsels
2-3 tbsp whole milk or heavy cream
writing icing for decoration (optional)
Pulse peanuts in food processor until peanut butter forms. Set aside.
Grease a sauce pan with butter. Combine honey, molasses, vanilla extract and cream of tartar in sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat until candy thermometer reads 300 degrees (about 10 minutes). Turn heat to low and stir in peanut butter and salt until combined, then remove from heat.
Transfer mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper using a rubber spatula. Spread mixture to desired thickness, then score with a buttered knife to make candy bar segments. (If the mixture cools too much, the cutting/scoring is tricky. Stick in the oven set to 200 degrees for 5-10 minutes to make it more pliable.) Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes, until set.
Melt chocolate in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in milk or heavy cream until smooth. Remove peanut mixture from freezer and break apart into bars. Dip each piece in chocolate and place on parchment. Once all bars are dipped, return to freezer for another 30-60 minutes until chocolate is set.
Decorate as you like and serve with a cold glass of milk!
Ryan Clark Bars
Recipe adapted from Detoxinista
1/4 tbsp butter
1 cup honey
3/4 tbsp molasses
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 cups dry roasted peanuts, honey roasted or unsalted (I used 1 cup of each)
2-3 cups milk chocolate morsels
2-3 tbsp whole milk or heavy cream
writing icing for decoration (optional)
Pulse peanuts in food processor until peanut butter forms. Set aside.
Grease a sauce pan with butter. Combine honey, molasses, vanilla extract and cream of tartar in sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat until candy thermometer reads 300 degrees (about 10 minutes). Turn heat to low and stir in peanut butter and salt until combined, then remove from heat.
Transfer mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper using a rubber spatula. Spread mixture to desired thickness, then score with a buttered knife to make candy bar segments. (If the mixture cools too much, the cutting/scoring is tricky. Stick in the oven set to 200 degrees for 5-10 minutes to make it more pliable.) Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes, until set.
Melt chocolate in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in milk or heavy cream until smooth. Remove peanut mixture from freezer and break apart into bars. Dip each piece in chocolate and place on parchment. Once all bars are dipped, return to freezer for another 30-60 minutes until chocolate is set.
Decorate as you like and serve with a cold glass of milk!
