Chewy Peanut Butter Bars

Peanut Butter Bars can be made a week ahead and kept, covered, in the refrigerator. Recipe makes about 24 bars.

Ingredients:

2 ounces (60 g) butter, chopped
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons marmalade
1 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cups Rice Bubbles
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup mixed dried fruit
1/4 cup finely chopped glace pineapple

Method:

1. Grease a 9 inch (23 cm) square slab pan.
2. Combine butter, honey, sugar, peanut butter and marmalade in large saucepan and stir over low heat, without boiling, until sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil; remove from heat. Stir in remaining ingredients and mix well.
3. Press mixture firmly into prepared pan and refrigerate until firm.

Choc-nut Snaps

Sliced cookie dough is used to make these tasty peanut and cocoa bites. Recipe makes 38-40 cookies.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
5 ounces (150 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup shelled peanuts, finely chopped

Method:

1. Sift the flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda into a mixing bowl.
2. Put the butter and sugar into a second mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Gradually beat in the beaten egg until well combined.
3. Stir in the flour mixture and chopped peanuts until evenly combined and the mixture forms a dough.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough, with clean cold hands, to form a 8 x 2 inch (20 x 5 cm) large sausage shape. Wrap the dough in clear plastic wrap and chill overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Thoroughly grease 4 baking trays or line with non-stick baking paper. Slice the dough into 38-40 equal rounds and put them on the baking trays. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
6. Leave the cookies to firm on the baking trays for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tip: If you want to bake the cookies in batches, divide the dough into 2 or 4 portions in Step 4. Slice and bake each portion separately and keep the remainder chilled.

Maple Peanut Squares

The whole family will be nuts about these American-style peanut butter and maple syrup squares and may even demand you make two batches! Cake recipe makes 15 squares.

Ingredients:

4 ounces (100 g) butter
4 ounces (100 g) soft light brown sugar
4 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
4 tablespoons maple syrup
2 eggs, beaten
4 ounces (100 g) self-rising (raising) flour
2 ounces (50 g) raisins
3 ounces (75 g) unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped
Icing sugar, for dusting

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the peanut butter and maple syrup and beat in well.
2. Beat in the eggs gradually with 2 teaspoons of the flour. Fold in the remaining flour and add the raisins and 2 ounces (50 g) of the chopped peanuts. Pour the mixture into a 10 x 6 inch (25 x 15 cm) lined cake tin. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped peanuts. Bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes.
3. Allow the cake to cool slightly in the tin. Turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool. Dust with icing sugar and cut the cake into squares.