Homemade Butterfingers!

I was looking through the January/February issue of Food Network Magazine while my kids were finishing cleaning my husbands office (Yes we believe in child labor around here), when I saw a feature on cupcakes that tasted just like candy bars (Ie, York Peppermint Patties, Butterfingers, Snickers etc.)

I thought that sounded fun to try the Butterfinger Cupcakes for my sons 4th birthday party. They turned out really good. More work than I usually put into dessert, but for a special occasion I think it was worth it.

But the thing I was most excited about was that you can make your own butterfinger centers. Who knew? And it wasn't that hard. And I usually have most of the ingredients on hand. (Hint, you usually have sugar and peanut butter on hand, but if you live by a store that sells bulk foods like Winco, go buy a big bag of butterscotch chips to keep in your freezer--then you can make this whenever the mood hits!)

Homemade butterfinger brittle:

For the Brittle:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup butterscotch chips

Make the brittle: Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Place the granulated sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring to a boil and cook, swirling the pan but not stirring, until it turns amber.* Remove from the heat; stir in the peanut butter and butterscotch chips until smooth. Immediately pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, smooth into a thin layer with a spatula and let cool. Break the brittle into pieces, place in a resealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.

*It was a little weird not stirring the sugar. It just instinct to do so, but follow the directions and it is kind of magical what happens.

Now I'm not a big plain butterfinger fan, because I think butterfingers were made to go into milkshakes. Can't wait to try some with homemade butterfingers. Probably need to add a little chocolate though.

And I definetely need to try these next time I'm invited to a chocolate fondue party too. The possibilities go on and on.

PS. If you do try to make the cupcakes, the frosting didn't work out exactly how they said for me. The chips didn't melt like they said, so I would microwave it a little at the end to have it melt completely. Then I wouldn't put the bowl on ice. It made the frosting too hard to work with, so I would just let it cool for a while on the counter until it is spreadable.