Peanut Butter Slab

These Peanut Butter Slabs are everything that I hoped they'd be. That might sound a little sappy, especially because we're talking about food, but I've recently had a serious thing for peanut butter and ever since trying something similar at Olive & Bean in Newcastle I've been working out how to replicate it.

Based on the Roxanne's Millionaire Shortbread from Nigella's How To Be A Domestic Goddess, the shortbread base is made with peanut butter instead of normal butter and the butter in the caramel centre is also replaced with peanut butter. I'd wanted to grind up some peanuts for the base but, bizzarely, couldn't find any at the supermarket.

If, like me, you're a peanut butter addict, you definitely need these in your life. Satisfying enough that one is all you need, these are also a good friend to dieters/people who try to eat healthily that can't avoid their sweet tooth - I know that mine is horrendous. I've heard that giving up sugar for two weeks cures you of sugar addiction, but honestly, I'm quite happy having sugar in my life! No Sugar Addicts Anonymous for me!

Makes 15
Ingredients
For the shortbread base:

• 175g Smooth Peanut Butter
• 25g Butter
• 225g Plain Flour
• 75g Caster Sugar

For the caramel:

• 400g Can Condensed Milk
• 4 Tbsp Golden Syrup
• 200g Peanut Butter

For the topping:

• 300g White Chocolate

Recipe

• Preheat the oven to 170C/160C fan and line a rectangular tin with parchment paper.
• To make the shortbread base, put the flour and sugar in a bowl and stir to combine.
• Add the butter and peanut butter. Stir to cover them with the flour and sugar before using the tips of your fingers to rub the ingredients together via the 'breadcrumbs' method.
• Roll the dough into a ball, then press into the tin, smoothing to the edges and using fingers or a spatula to make the surface smooth.
• Bake the shortbread in the oven for five minutes before turning the heat down to 150C/140C fan and baking for a further 30 mins, until the shortbread is no-longer doughy.
• To make the caramel, melt the peanut butter in a pan over a medium heat before stirring in the condensed milk and golden syrup. Continue stirring until the mixture boils, then leave to cool slightly before pouring over the shortbread.
• Break the white chocolate into pieces, then melt it in a bowl in the microwave, checking it every 30 seconds to make sure it doesn't over-cook. Pour it over the caramel.
• Leave to set, then slice up and enjoy!

I've got plans for the leftover pink fondant icing that has still not been used up from the Portal Companion Cube Cake I made in May, and I'll reveal them to you some time next week. I really hope all goes to plan because in my head they're going to look fantastic. I guess we're all going to have to wait and see. It may or may not be cocktail-themed...