homemade payday candy bars
This is one of the EASIEST homemade copycat candy recipes out there. The prep is the longest part because you have to remove all of the wrappers from a 14 oz. bag of caramels, but if you have an 8 year old "sous chef," he can be unwrapping while you're chopping peanuts & measuring marshmallows, and your prep & cooking times will be cut down to about 12 minutes. Then you just have to wait 2 hours for the candy to cool before you can cut it into pieces. Sounds about right for a game of Monopoly with your sous chef. I call the race car! =^..^=
prep time
5 Min
cook time
10 Min
method
Stove Top
yield
Makes 16-20+ pieces, depending on size.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups peanuts, chopped after measuring; divided
- 14 ounces bag of caramels, unwrapped
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
How To Make homemade payday candy bars
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Step 1Prepare an 8" square pan by misting it with cooking spray, lining it with parchment paper (extending over 1 inch on all sides), then misting the parchment paper with cooking spray.
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Step 2Chop up half of the peanuts and spread over the bottom of the prepared pan. Chop up the rest of the peanuts & set aside for later.
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Step 3In a medium pan, melt the unwrapped caramels, water, and mini marshmallows together over LOW-MEDIUM heat, stirring constantly off the bottom to keep the caramels from scorching. This will take about 8 minutes, so you might want to check out your newest cookbook or a few pages of Dogzilla with your sous chef...
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Step 4...until the caramel mixture looks like this.
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Step 5Pour the melted caramel mixture over the chopped nuts...
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Step 6...and smooth out.
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Step 7Top with the rest of the nuts, pressing them firmly into the caramel mixture like this. (If you use your fingers, just don't touch the hot caramel mixture! Don't ask me how I know this.)
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Step 8It should look like this when you're done. Set aside for about 2 hours to cool.
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Step 9Remove the candy from the pan, using the edges of the parchment paper.
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Step 10Cut into bars or pieces with a really sharp knife.
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Step 11Store in an airtight container, IF you have any leftovers after you share with your sous chef & any other kitchen helpers who wander in. =^..^=
- Last Step: Don't forget to share! Post a picture of your finished recipe here and on your favorite social network. Don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes!
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