A while back, I posted a recipe for peanut butter shale candy. I was perfectly happy with it, but that doesn't mean I was done fiddling with the recipe.This is a larger batch than the previous recipe. Might as well ... it's pretty darned good stuff. And I made a few other changes as well.
This candy is very similar to the previous one, with one change. That shale was a little harder, while this one is a little more .. fragile. It reminds me a lot of the filling inside a Butterfingers candy bar - sort of shattery. It breaks apart easily, and you can see layers in it when it breaks.
It's also just a little crumbly.
I made large pieces using a silicone mold that I bought right before Christmas, but smaller pieces would be great coated in chocolate.
I used a raw cane sugar, but white sugar would be fine, too. Normally I use unsalted butter for cooking, hut this time I opted for salted, to add just that tiny bit of salt to the candy.
Peanut Butter Shale
2 cups raw cane sugar1 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1 stick (8 tablespoons, 1/4 pound) salted butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter
Have a cookie sheet standing ready, lined with a silicone baking mat.. Or use a silicone mold. Or butter a baking sheet.
Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a large saucepan (nonstick makes cleanup easier, but it's not necessary). Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the butter.
Attach a candy thermometer to the pot to measure the temperature of the hot sugar.
Continue cooking on medium heat until the temperature reaches 305 degrees. Don't be impatient and heat it too quickly, or the sugar can burn before it reaches the proper temperature.
Add the baking soda and the peanut butter, and stir to combine the peanut butter with the candy. The baking soda will cause it to foam up - that's normal.
Pour the candy onto the prepared baking sheet or into the mold. Spread it out as desired, using a heatproof spatula.
Let it cool completely, then break apart.
