Family Recipe

      This is the one recipe that I make a point to have each and every year.  It's a tradition with our family and these are very delicious.  It's just the right amount of peanut butter, chocolate, and one other ingredient that I'm going to leave out.  Almost everyone loves the combination of chocolate and peanut butter but add our extra flavor and this candy takes on another dimension.  Everyone has a traditional holiday dessert or candy that triggers memories and this one does that for me.
      First, we dissolve sugar in corn syrup and simmer until it's just under the thread stage using a candy thermometer as shown below.  It's very important that we constantly store the mixture so that it doesn't burn.  I like to use the thermometer to find the perfect temperature but that's not the way my mom made this candy.  She knew how long to cook it without a thermometer and it came out perfect every time.  Isn't that how it usually works?

      After the sugar mixture reaches the proper stage and consistency, we add peanut butter and fold in the cereal mixture.  It's very important that this happens quickly or it will be very difficult to spread out on the sheet pan.  While the candy base is cooling, we start the topping.  It's just a simple mixture of chocolate and....., oh yeah, I'm not telling you the other element that's in our topping.  We temper that mixture so that when it cools, it doesn't get as firm as it was in the chip form.  This step takes a while and really makes the house smell great.

     
      It's important to make sure the candy base is cooled completely or the topping will not set very well.  What's great about spreading the hot topping over the cooled candy is that the topping finds it way into all of the little nooks and crannies as seen in the end result below.  A great, chewy peanut butter candy with a sweet, delicate chocolate mixture on top.

      We also make a small amount without the chocolate topping for a couple of our family members.  I have to say though, the picture above with the topping is what makes this candy.
      Now, in case you're wondering, I will not be giving this recipe out.  I'm always happy to make some but that's about it.  As mentioned before, it's a family recipe and we just aren't ready to let go.