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a tale of two Homemade Butterfingers

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I compared two homemade butterfingers recipes and found one that is easy, crunchy and just right.

(Stick with me to the end of this one, it’s worth it)

About 2-3 weeks ago, everyone was posting a recipe for Butterfingers. You know that crisp peanut butter center, covered in chocolate.

One of hubby’s all time favorites!

I saw it first at Brady’s blog Gluesticks, she’s a crafty kind of gal.

The very next day I saw it at In Katrina’s Kitchen.

I’m loving this idea.

And it’s not a new one, Plain Chicken posted this a year ago.

So it must be good, I have to try this.

And the recipe is just too simple: candy corns, peanut butter and chocolate.

I ended up using Katrina’s recipe, for the measurements.
Easy Butterfingers

3 cups candy corn
1 cup peanut butter
chocolate for dipping

Melt candy corns in the microwave, sorry, I’m a double boiler kind of gal, never figured out the right way to melt things in the microwave without scorching or splattering everywhere. So melt your candy corns, then add peanut butter and blend till everything is creamy. You may need to heat it a bit more to get the nice creamy stage.

Pour into a buttered 8 x 8 pan and let cool about an hour. Cut candy into desired shapes and dip in chocolate. Place on wax paper until chocolate is set.

So easy.
Here’s how it went:

candy corns
melting
we had fun playing
add peanut butter
stir
stir some more
almost done
good
spread in pan
time to cut
 
 
Chocolate (my favorite part)
melt it
now dip
and dip
I did a few bars
now to let them set
 
 
Look ma, I made a butterfinger!
 
 
Now if you want to impress your friends and not spend all day in the kitchen, this is it. Tastes just like a butterfinger. And you made it!
 
But it is lacking the texture of a butter finger. That crisp, breakaway, fall apart, center that is a butterfinger.
 
I wanted more.
 
So I searched.
 
and I searched some more.
 
And I found Vicki at Wilde in the Kitchen had a scratch version.
 
With the flaky layers.
 
That’s what I want.
 
Now I won’t go into all the details on this one because I completely screwed up her recipe, but I will give you a few highlights.
 
melt peanut butter
add to sugar, corn syrup mixture
blend
fast
pour into pan
cut
 
I had to stop here.
I screwed up somewhere.
I didn’t get one decent shaped piece.
They all broke up.
 
 
It didn’t stop me from dipping a few in chocolate anyway.
 
This recipe did have the flaky inside but I knew I did something wrong.
It was dry,
and crumbly.
 
Where did I go wrong?
 
So back to the computer
                Search,
                             search,
                                        search.
 
and I stumble upon About.com
lots of talk about the temperature being 300 degrees.
the Wilde in the Kitchen only had the temperature up to 290 degrees.
Maybe that’s it.
 
But I’m still searching, I want to get this right. I get that way. And the family doesn’t mind eating the mistakes.
 
And then I find Lisa.
This is a lady after my own heart.
and she has this great post about how she tried to make butter fingers, over and over. And some of her pictures even look like mine! She must have it right!
And she took her temperature all the way to 375 degrees on one batch.
 
So I’m ready to go back in the kitchen.
I’m prepared to have a few mistake batches.
I even buy some generic peanut butter for this.
(If you check the labels, they are almost identical to name brand)
 
 
Here’s the recipe, the one I used ALL DAY!
 
Butterfingers from Scratch
 
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup peanut butter
Vegetable oil for pan and knife
Chocolate for dipping
 
 
I even went up to the The Kitchen Collection and bought a new candy thermometer, just in case mine was off.
 
OK, batch number one:
 
corn syrup, water and sugar
in a 2 quart heavy sauce pan
medium-low heat, stir
starting to boil, stir
full boil, time to stop stirring
and insert the candy thermometer
now were on medium high heat
and I have to get somewhere between 325-375 degrees
I’ve got a long way to go
and no stirring
and then….
it rapidly changes color
and starts to smell
burnt
and I didn’t even get to 300 degrees?
 
Dump out, start over
Batch number two
same start
once at full boil
I put both thermometers in
both are reading the same
and crap!
lightning fast
the color goes from a beautiful caramel color to brown
but it doesn’t smell burnt so I add my peanut butter
pour onto the greased pan and start to score with my greased knife
 
I let it cool, enough so I can take a taste
ugh, burnt again
but
it does have the flaky, crispy texture
this is the recipe
I just have to get it right
 
And luckily I have more than one 2 quart sauce pan because this one had to soak for about 8 hours to finally get the burnt, hardened candy out of it
Here’s a tip- if your sugar is burnt-stop right there!
 
OK, take a pause. I’ve been in the kitchen for 2 hours
and while stirring and watching the temperature
I’ve been reading my cookbooks
 
and in the very first cookbook I was ever given
is a section on candy making
blah, blah, blah
there’s something to that beautiful caramel color
 
oh and this tip about your thermometer not touching the bottom of the pan
but being far enough in to get a reading
 
Well guess what I figured out?
 
There is not enough liquid in a 2 quart sauce pan to get a good reading
So….
 
Batch number three
 
in a 1 quart sauce pan
bring to a boil sugar, corn syrup and water
stirring constantly
now stop stirring
medium-high heat
use the thermometer but don’t let it rest on the bottom
bring it up to about 290 degrees
watch your color, you want a beautiful golden color
this is the best picture I can give you for that
the drips from my counter
on the left-burnt
on the right-perfect
I warmed my peanut butter in the 2 quart sauce pan
till it was all warm and gooey
 
ok, time to move fast (sorry, no pictures here)
you’re at 290 degrees on the sugar mixture
 
add sugar mixture to the peanut butter,
quickly stir together
(do not scrap down the sides of the sugar mixture pan,
just leave what doesn’t pour out)
 
pour onto your greased jelly roll pan
count to about 20
just enough for it to start to set
 and start to score your candy
look at it
perfect!!!!
 
Allow to cool at room temperature then break into pieces.
 
Time to dip in chocolate!
I lightly coat the bottoms
then drizzle
pour over the tops
and tap the excess off
set on parchment or wax paper
to set
 
That old saying, It’s what’s on the inside that counts?
 
 

 

This was worth all the failed batches!
And now that I know what I did wrong,
it was easy,
and I’ll make these again!
 
Still looking for more butterfinger copycat recipes?
CopyCat Butterfingers From Pastry Chef Online

Related Posts:

grace

About Grace

When I was younger, I was constantly in the kitchen helping my mom bake. It was fun getting to play with the flour and always getting to lick the spoon. I’ve always expressed an interest in baking and now I feel that it’s the right time for me to take over. I am a college student working towards a nursing degree as well as a full-time aunt to the sweetest little kids (they might pop up in some of the posts). I’ve learned most of what I know about baking and cooking from my mom, and I am continuing to self-teach through trial and error, which means plenty of sweets to be eaten. Read more...

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Comments

  6. Tiffany@Fizzy Party! says

    Ha ha This was a joy to read. Your oommentary was so funny. I wanted to read all the way to the end, like a movie you can’t stop watching or a book you just can’t out down 🙂

    Reply

  7. Lisa @ Flour Me With Love says

    I am so happy you stopped over at my blog because I found yours. I have been wanting to make Butterfingers for quite some time (my husband’s favorite) but wasn’t sure about the candy corn. Now after all your hard work, I can and know they’ll come out perfect…thanks 🙂

    Reply

  9. Joan@chocolateandmore says

    @Tiffany, lol, thanks, it was probably closer to a saga, haha.

    @Lisa, definitely go for the scratch one, it’s so worth it!

    and @ Comfortably domestic, not sure if it’s too much time on my hands, or just plain stubbornness but I will make something over and over (if I think it’s worth it)

    Reply

  10. Jocelyn says

    I am impressed with your determination to get it right…I would have given up after the first batch of burnt sugar. Then I would have headed to the store for a big bag of butterfingers to soothe my bad mood:-)

    Reply

  11. Stephanie says

    Thank you for this post!!!! I love blogs like yours that do all the hard work. 😉 This worked beautifully for me. Thanks again!!

    Reply

  12. Ashley @ Kitchen Meets Girl says

    I finally used my candy thermometer for maybe only the second time last weekend to make caramels. Now that I’m feeling a little more adventureous, I’m going to have to try these, because holy cow, they look amazing. I’m dyin’, here!

    Reply