My First Peanut Butter Bash!

The bars became part of my dessert party selection!

While innocently looking at other people's food blogs, I come across various challenges like the Christmas Cookie Swap where you have to qualify as a food blogger yourself before being able to participate.  I really enjoyed the cookie swap, even though it did not go as well for me as other years, and was delighted to discover the Peanut Butter Bash!  In the first instance of posting this, I did not know to put the link to the group so here it is:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/peanutbutterbash/

The rules for this are simple, there is a monthly vote on what ingredient to add to peanut butter and then publish your own creation on the 1st Thursday of the month.  Well, the first Thursday of the month unless that day falls on the first day of the year!  This year, after a frenzy of folks understandably saying that they could not meet the deadline due to holidays, the date was changed to the 8th!




Our son had come home from London for Christmas and I had planned my baking around sending him home with something on the 29th.  The deadline of the first of January seemed challenging but achievable.  Although I did manage to bake these bars, to have to meet the original deadline would have been stressful and I am very grateful it was pushed back a week!

After looking at the other members of this group, it appears that I may be the only non-US resident!  So I decided to focus only on British cookbooks and recipes for something different!

I do try to convert measurements from British to American systems, but I always put a disclaimer because it is only my estimates.  On one of my pages is a link with someone else's very hard work and converting a massive number of items!  Here is the link!  She and I exchanged Christmas cookies her last year living in Scotland. She has since moved back to the US and the blog name is changed is changed to American Cupcake Life, and is well worth a visit!

Taken from The Hummingbird Bakers "Cake Days"  Recipes to make every day special cookbook.

Chewy Monkey Bars   - the footnote states you can vary the nuts and dried fruits, but stick to the same weights and proportions indicated in the recipe.

Makes 12 bars depending on how you cut them of course!

120g (4 oz) 1/2 cup honey
  60g (2 oz) 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  60g (2 oz)  1/4 crunchy peanut butter
160g (5.5 oz) 3 cups white mini marshmallows
    1 tsp vanilla essence
100g (3.5 oz) 1 cup rolled oats
175g (6 oz)  5 cups puffed rice cereal (I used Rice Krispies)
175g (6 oz)  1/2 cup desiccated coconut
  40g (1.5 oz) 1/4 cup unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped ( I had to use hazelnuts because I could not find unsalted peanuts)
  40g (1.5 oz) 1/4 cup glace cherries, roughly chopped
100g (3.5 oz) 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (minimum 70% chocolate)
  50g (1 3/4 oz) 1/2 cup chopped mixed nuts

One 22 x 31 cm (9 x 12.5 inch) baking tray  (mine was 9 x 13)

1.  Line the tray with baking parchment.  Place the honey in a saucepan with the butter, peanut butter, marshmallows and vanilla essence and melt together over a low heat.

As a result of doing this in a hurry, there are 2 problems evident in this picture:
1.  Pink mini marshmallows!  It is hard to find mini marshmallows in Scotland, so any colour will do!
2.  I added the Rice Krispies before reading that I shouldn't have done that.  I did pick most out, but another reason not to bake in a hurry!

2.  In a bowl, mix together the oats, rice cereal, coconut, peanuts, cherries and 2/3 of the chocolate chips.  Pour the warm, melted ingredients over this dry mixture, stirring together thoroughly to make sure all of the dry ingredients are evenly coated.  Press the mixture into the prepared baking tray.

3.  Melt the remaining chocolate chips in a microwave or in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water.  Drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the monkey bar mixture and sprinkle withe the chopped mixed nuts, then leave in the fridge for about 1 hour to set.  Once the mixture has set, it can be turned out on to a chopping board and sliced into 12 bars.

Another result of doing this too quickly, I chilled the mixture
before melting the chocolate to drizzle on top!
As a result, I have chunks of chocolate, which you will
see later, and no chopped mixed nuts on top!

3.  Melt the remaining chocolate chips in a microwave or in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water.  Drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the monkey bar mixture and sprinkle with the chopped mixed nuts, then leave in the fridge for about 1 hour to set.  Once the mixture has set, it can be turned out on to a chopping board and sliced into 12 bars.








Even with all the problems and mistakes, these bars were delicious! A very grown up version of those Rice Krispies bars!  I had not really noticed that was what they were when I chose this recipe, but everyone liked them and that was the important thing.

I was able to package some up and send off with Martin as he left for London.  On the way to the airport, we made a planned detour of attending the Glasgow Rocks basketball game at the Emirates Arena.  My husband is registered as one of the league's photographers so we thought this would be a nice way to end the visit.

The next day, I hosted  a dessert party and the rest of the bars made their appearance at this event! 

"Man cannot live by bread alone; he must have peanut butter."  James A. Garfield

Peanut Butter Bash  

Taken from The Hummingbird Bakers "Cake Days"  Recipes to make every day special cookbook.

Chewy Monkey Bars   - the footnote states you can vary the nuts and dried fruits, but stick to the same weights and proportions indicated in the recipe.

Makes 12 bars depending on how you cut them of course!

120g (4 oz) 1/2 cup honey
  60g (2 oz) 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  60g (2 oz)  1/4 crunchy peanut butter
160g (5.5 oz) 3 cups white mini marshmallows
    1 tsp vanilla essence
100g (3.5 oz) 1 cup rolled oats
175g (6 oz)  5 cups puffed rice cereal (I used Rice Krispies)
175g (6 oz)  1/2 cup desiccated coconut
  40g (1.5 oz) 1/4 cup unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped ( I had to use hazelnuts because I could not find unsalted peanuts)
  40g (1.5 oz) 1/4 cup glace cherries, roughly chopped
100g (3.5 oz) 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (minimum 70% chocolate)
  50g (1 3/4 oz) 1/2 cup chopped mixed nuts

One 22 x 31 cm (9 x 12.5 inch) baking tray  (mine was 9 x 13)

1.  Line the tray with baking parchment.  Place the honey in a saucepan with the butter, peanut butter, marshmallows and vanilla essence and melt together over a low heat.

2.  In a bowl, mix together the oats, rice cereal, coconut, peanuts, cherries and 2/3 of the chocolate chips.  Pour the warm, melted ingredients over this dry mixture, stirring together thoroughly to make sure all of the dry ingredients are evenly coated.  Press the mixture into the prepared baking tray.

3.  Melt the remaining chocolate chips in a microwave or in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water.  Drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the monkey bar mixture and sprinkle withe the chopped mixed nuts, then leave in the fridge for about 1 hour to set.  Once the mixture has set, it can be turned out on to a chopping board and sliced into 12 bars.