Peanut Butter Mallow Bars

From: Chef Sharyn Harding, Fleur De Lys (within Mandalay Bay), Las Vegas, NV. This recipe was the first prize-winning dessert in the Southern Peanut Growers 2009 Chefs' Recipe Contest. Yield: 32 servings.

Chocolate Pretzel Crust:

1 lb., 6 oz milk chocolate, chopped

1 lb., 2 ¾ oz. creamy peanut butter

5¼ oz. canola oil

8½ oz. pretzel sticks, broken into ½" pieces

Peanut Butter Cream:

10⅝ oz. milk chocolate, chopped

4¼ oz. butter, salted

2 ⅜ oz. granulated sugar

10 egg yolks, large eggs

7½ oz. whole milk

13 ⅓ oz. heavy cream

13 oz. creamy peanut butter

Assembly and Marshmallow Topping:

1 lb., 5 ⅓ oz. granulated sugar

6 ⅓ oz. egg whites, large egg

¾ vanilla bean, split and scraped

7½ gelatin sheets

For chocolate pretzel crust: Break pretzels into small pieces (½" to ¾" pieces). Melt chocolate with peanut butter in double boiler. Whisk in oil and then stir in pretzel pieces. Pour mixture onto half sheet pan lined with acetate or silicone mat. Place in freezer to set. Cool quickly per HACCP procedures to 40°F or below. (Shelf life 1 week.)

For peanut butter cream: Place milk chocolate and butter in an appropriate bowl. Place sugar and egg yolks in second bowl. Heat the milk and cream over a medium heat to a simmer. Whisk hot milk and cream in a slow steady stream into egg yolks. Return mixture to the pan and heat while stirring until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Immediately pour over the chocolate and butter. Blend with an immersion blender. Add the peanut butter and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine strainer. Chill until set. Cool quickly per HACCP procedures to 40°F or below. (Shelf life 48 hours.)

For assembly and marshmallow topping: Cut chocolate pretzel crust into 1½" × 4" bars. Pipe peanut butter cream from a pastry bag with an 18mm round tip diagonally across each bar to cover (about 2 oz. per bar). Refrigerate and prepare the marshmallow. Place the sugar in a sauce pan with just enough water to make it wet over a medium high heat. Bloom the gelatin in cold water. Place egg whites and vanilla in mixer bowl fitted with wire whip attachment. Begin whipping on low speed. When sugar has reached thread stage (235°F) increase the mixer speed to medium and slowly pour in the sugar. Once sugar has been added, turn off mixer and drop in the gelatin. Turn mixer to high speed and whip until mixture has cooled and reached stiff peaks. Immediately place ito pastry bag with 15mm round tip. Pipe marshmallow (about ⅔ oz. per bar) in a tight spiral rope design down the length of each bar. Torch top of the marshmallow to golden brown. Refrigerate. Cool quickly per HACCP procedures to 40°F or below. (Shelf life 48 hours.)

Photo courtesy of Southern Peanut Growers