The past year was the busiest I've had in terms of writing/PR work. I'm grateful for the business, particularly in the midst of a difficult economy, but it didn't leave me a lot of time for cooking or blogging. I thought I'd try to catch up by posting a few new (to me) successful recipes that I managed to photograph.
The first is for the chewy and nutty Salted Peanut Chews, which would be a great addition to anything from a picnic to a holiday cookie tray. I enjoyed them, although I think my favorite nutty bar cookie would be the similarly named Salted Nut Bars.
Salted Peanut Chews
Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg yolks
3 cups miniature marshmallows
Topping:
2/3 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup margarine or butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 pkg. peanut butter chips (10-oz.)
2 cups crisp rice cereal
2 cups salted peanuts
1. Heat oven to 350F. In large bowl, combine all crust ingredients except marshmallows at low speed until crumbly. Press firmly in bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch pan. Bake at 350F. for 12 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown.
2. Remove crust from oven. Immediately sprinkle with marshmallows.
3. Return to oven; bake an additional 1 to 2 minutes or until marshmallows just begin to puff. Cool while preparing topping.
4. In large saucepan, combine all topping ingredients except cereal and peanuts. Heat just until chips are melted and mixture is smooth, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in cereal and peanuts. Immediately spoon warm topping over marshmallows; spread to cover. Refrigerate 45 minutes or until firm. Cut into bars.