Dark Chocolate Caramel Peanut Slice

I get excited when we are invited to some form of bbq/potluck/birthdays... or even when any fellow postgrad finishes placement/testing/writing. Why? Well, because I have an excuse to make cakes, cupcakes, muffins,friands and slices!

Given that I have relocated most of my thesis work to home, it means I'm sort of isolated from the civilized social world for the next few months or so. It's hard to go around just heading back to uni to deliver cupcakes (and waste time!). Remember my Lemon poppy seeds cupcakes which I ended up with 36+ cupcakes floating around in the tiny kitchen? Well, it has an eerie resemblance to Gray Anatomy's Izzie's muffin coping episode.

So anyway, we were invited to a small gathering over at a friend's place a couple of fridays ago. I have always wanted to make the Choc-peanut caramel slice since it is no-bake, quick and easy sort of item. What prevented me from making this was that I can see that being rich and the difficulty of finishing this slab of choc-peanut caramel slice with just the 2 of us (ok! so we have the neighbors but they may be thinking I'm a baking/cooking freak if I continue my baking craze).

I'm not a big fan of caramel. Guess I just don't like gooey stuff sticking to the roof of my mouth. I make an exception for this slice though. The dark choc and crunch of peanut was an excellent combi. A word of warning, I found it really difficult to cut the slice up-hence they looked uneven.... =(

Turned out that I didn't make it to the gathering and AR took the slice to the potluck alone. He said there wasn't any left and everyone loved it and finished it....

I chose to believe him for the sake of future marital bliss. ;p



Dark Chocolate Caramel Peanut Slice (20-25 small blocks)
125 grams of butter
1/2 cup of caster sugar
395grams of reduced fat sweetened condensed milk
1 cup of roasted unsalted peanuts
200grams of dark chocolate
20grams of butter-extra

Grease deep 19cm square cake tray. Place baking paper over, making sure the slides of paper hang over the tray. This will help lift the slice out of the pan.
Combine butter, sugar and milk in a pan. Stir without boiling till sugar dissolves. Bring it to a boil, stirring it constantly till it turns dark-honey color.
Working quickly, pour caramel into pan. Smooth with mental spoon. Press nuts into caramel.
Cool for 20 minutes
Meanwhile, melt chocolate and extra butter in microwave in short 30 seconds-1 min bursts (Or over a small saucepan of simmering water). Spread chocolate over caramel mixture. Refrigerate until set. It may take 2 hours.
Remove slice from pan before cutting it into squares.

Adapted from Australian Women's Weekly Cakes Biscuits & Slices.